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The robbery of th^leeping car Mermaid. 


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THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


THE PALACE CAR ROBBERY 

CHAPTER I 

As a detective of the Pullman Palace Car Com¬ 
pany for many years, inspecting and reporting to 
them the character of service rendered by their 
conductors and porters to the passengers who 
travel in their gilt-edge Palace Cars, I became 
acquainted with many distinguished travelers 
among whom were Governors, Ex-Governors, 
United States Senators, Bonanza Kings and Mil¬ 
lionaires. 

While on these tours of investigation I always 
retained the height of style and fashion so as to 
throw off suspicion and hide my identity, that 
I might not be dropped to as an inspector. 

My usual mode of procedure was to reach the 
depot just as the train was leaving and appear in 
a great rush to get on board. This was my ex¬ 
cuse for not buying a ticket at the office for my 


6 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


Pullman car accommodation; and I would pay 
cash to the conductor in order to test his honesty. 

A report of each trip was made by the conductor 
as well as by myself, and when each report reached 
the Pullman office, they were compared, inspected 
and criticized. Each report would state what 
berths were occupied during the night and what 
sections during the day. 

The work was so carefully conducted that I feel 
safe in saying that never during my long connec¬ 
tion with the Pullman Palace Car Company was my 
identity discovered by either conductor or porter. 
Very often I would be given a run of a week or ten 
days at a time, in order to somewhere on some 
distant railroad meet and test a conductor, 
whom the company were suspecting of stealing cash 
fares. 

During this tour of inspection I would ride with 
a new conductor every day until finally I would 
drop in with the suspected man whom I was sent 
to test. 

I was seldom informed by the company who the 
suspected conductor was, so I always paid cash for 
my palace car accommodation, instead of buying 
a ticket. 

Not many days would pass, however, before my 
eyes would be opened and I would find myself 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 7 

traveling with a conductor whose actions attracted 
my suspicion. This was my man, There was 
something about him that would tell me he would 
bear watching and to get a “check” on his car I 
was sent on this thousand mile journey. 

To many operatives the honesty or dishonesty of 
a man can almost be determined at sight. There 
is something in the expression of the eyes and ac¬ 
tions of many men that reveals their true character, 
and no one is watching for those traits more closely 
than the lynx-eyed detective. 

Besides reporting the number of berths occupied 
I commenced to notice that conductors and porters 
were sleeping on duty, and many times I would 
awake from my sleep at two or three o’clock in 
the morning and press the button that would ring 
the electric bell without getting an answer from 
any of the crew, and in going to the toilet would 
find them asleep in the smoking room. 

I would find the cars left exposed in this way 
for several hours at a time during the night, with 
trains stopping and starting and nothing to prevent 
dangerous characters from entering the car, rifling 
the valises and clothing, and carrying off loads of 
valuables without the least fear of detection from 
the sleeping passengers. 

The conductors and porters were severly ar- 


8 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

raigned in my report to the company of this neglect 
of duty on their night runs, to see, if possible if I 
could not improve this much needed protection to 
the traveling public. 

I would often arise from my berth during the 
night or early morning, dress myself, and leave 
the car, without being seen by the night watch. I 
would then wait at the same station for the next 
vestibule train and see if I could get into its sleep¬ 
ing cars without being observed. 

This line of observation was not followed long 
before I proved to my full satisfaction that it would 
be an easy matter to relieve the passengers of any 
or all of their valuables during the night. 

It was while endeavoring to emphasize this neg¬ 
lect of duty to the Pullman Company regarding 
the employes of their sleeping cars, that one day I 
was summoned to the Chief Inspector’s office and 
informed that a daring robbery had been commit¬ 
ted about daylight that morning, near Fort Wayne, 
from a passenger on the palace car “ Mermaid,” and 
that he also informed them he would hold the com¬ 
pany responsible for his loss, which he estimated 
at five thousand dollars. 

I was requested to proceed to Fort Wayne, and 
after a careful examination of all the facts to re¬ 
port to the company at once. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


9 


* To accomplish this I must see the conductor and 
porter who had charge of the “Mermaid” that night. 
I therefore wired a message to train master Wal¬ 
lace, of Harrisburg, to cut out the Palace Car 
“Mermaid” of the Pennsylvania limited, from Chi¬ 
cago, due there at 11 A. m. and return it with 
Conductor Joe. Pearson, to Fort Wayne, at the 
earliest possible moment, 

I also despatched a message requesting Carlyle 
Manning, the passenger who was robbed, to meet 
me at the Brevoort House in that city upon the 
arrival of train No. 3 from Chicago, which would 
arrive there at 1:30 in the afternoon, 


CHAPTER II. 


Carlyle Manning had for a number of years been 
a traveling salesman, for the well-known jewelry 
firm of Tiffany & Co. of New York. He handled 
all classes of the precious metals, and his broad and 
extended views of the relative values of gold and 
silver made him an acceptable companion in the 
lobbies of Chicago’s popular Hotels. 

Mr. Manning’s opinion was as eagerly sought for 
by the bankers of Lincoln, as by the silver kings 
of Denver, when these meetings occurred. His 
extended knowledge of the amount of gold and 
silver used and consumed by the jewelry trade 
both in this country and Europe, was of great value 
to the free silver advocates of ten states in the far 
West. 

The same indomitable genius which like Frank¬ 
lin’s snapped the lightning from the thunder clouds 
and like Edison’s made it subservient to our will, 
was still working its destiny on the mineral belt of 
the great western mountains, demanding its vast 
storehouses, to deliver forth its boundless treasures. 

Many of the men who gathered around Mr. Man- 
10 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


II 


ning were financiers and mine operators, who 
twenty-five years before might have been seen cros¬ 
sing the trackless prairie in search of the new El¬ 
dorado. 

Hoping to realize the dreams which in earlier 
years, fired their minds and stirred their hearts, they 
were now laboring to shape a national policy that 
would make the product of their mines the circula¬ 
ting medium of an enlightened people. 

One evening just after Mr. Manning had finished 
a conversation with a party of his free silver friends 
in the lobby of the Auditorium Hotel he stepped 
into the railroad ticket office of that house and 
purchased his Pullman Car accommodation to 
Philadelphia. 

A few moments after Mr. Manning had purchased 
his ticket a tall well-dressed man who registered 
as C. A. Dunn, M.D., also approached the ticket 
agent, examined the diagram of berths and pur¬ 
chased section 7 in the Palace car “Mermaid” for 
Harrisburg. 

The train was to leave the Harrison Street Sta¬ 
tion at 10:30 that night for New York. Manning 
left the Auditorium in a cab unaccompanied save 
by two valises. On reaching the train he was 
shown by the porter to section 8 which was already 
made down, and considering the lateness of the 


12 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


hour the fatigued traveler decided to retire at 
once. 

No particular attention was paid to section 7 as 
it was made down and the curtains drawn aside at 
the bottom forming a V shape showing it was still 
unoccupied. 

About 11:30 a man came into the car unobserved 
from the forward part of the train and drawing 
the curtains closely together hid himself for the 
night from the other occupants of the car. Before 
he reached his berth, however, all the passengers 
had retired and the lights were turned down; he 
was interrupted for a moment only by the conduc¬ 
tor who asked him for his ticket, which request he 
promptly granted without revealing his personality. 

For the security of all valuables carried by pas¬ 
sengers in the Pullman cars, that company offers 
every security within their power through their in¬ 
telligent and courteous Conductors and ever watch¬ 
ful Porters. But no guarantee against loss is ever 
assumed to any passenger by that company, be¬ 
cause of the constant and extensive business car¬ 
ried on from day to day, with strangers of every 
character in their cars now running on the rail¬ 
roads extending to the Cape of Good Hope, up into 
the interior of Africa and crossing the continents of 
Europe and Australia, from the straits of Dover 
almost to Egypt. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


13 


The Pullman company have fifteen thousand em¬ 
ployes of whom eight thousand or nine thousand 
are mechanics and mechanical operatives. They 
serve four million five hundred thousand meals over 
the land, between the St. Lawrence and the Gulf, 
and every one of these meals has to have a voucher 
in their office and for ever passenger carried a re¬ 
ceipt must be placed on file. They have built over 
four hundred cars for the World’s Fair alone at 
a cost of five million five hundred thousand dollars, 
and own between twenty-two and twenty-three 
hundred palace cars and carry more than five mil¬ 
lion passengers every year; their mileage in this 
country is five times the circumference of the globe. 

Beside they are general car builders and manu¬ 
facture ten million dollars worth of cars yearly. 
When the car shops of Pullman start work in the 
morning, so complete is their system, that every 
ten minutes during the day a new car of some 
character is rolled out of their yards. 

At the town of Pullman outside of Chicago, 
they pay three million dollars a year in wages, and 
their savings bank has over five hundred thousand 
dollars'on deposit. They built for the Reading 
railroad alone last year fourteen thousand cars, 
and are receiving at the first of every month seventy 
one thousand dollars on account, and thus far 


i4 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


have been paid three million dollars or about three 
eights of the total equipment of the road. The 
Pullman company holds a mortgage for the re¬ 
maining five millions on the property. 

George M. Pullman came near selling this entire 
business twenty-five years ago, for two hundred 
thousand dollars which is capitalized to-day for 
sixty millions held by thirty-three hundred stock¬ 
holders, over half of whom are women. 

The World’s Fair is a remarkable piece of labor 
done on the level prairie, where lakes have been 
made within the inclosure, but the feasibility of 
this was shown when the town of Pullman was 
built upon thirty-five hundred acres of ground, and 
took the bleak prairie and gave it a water front, 
dockage, drainage, and utilized its sewerage. The 
town is just as far from the World’s Fair as is the 
Chicago river, and will yet be worth all the capital 
stock of the company. 

I doubt if mankind, would have thought of bring¬ 
ing the World’s Fair as far west as Chicago, if these 
flying palaces had not shortened distance by mak¬ 
ing travel agreeable and pictorial, and introduced 
the center of this continent to the European world. 

But this is a digression, we must return to our 
narrative. 


CHAPTER III. 


Carlyle Manning had entered the palace car 
“Mermaid” with two valises in which he carried 
five thousand dollars worth of diamonds, and se¬ 
creted them in his berth at his own risk. Con¬ 
ductor Pearson and his porter accorded to him 
every courtesy, that the agents of this great com¬ 
pany are instructed to give to each individual pas¬ 
senger. He did not, however, inform them of the 
valuable contents of his baggage. 

Responding to my telegram sent from Chicago, 
Mr. Manning was waicing my arrival at the Brevoort 
House in Fort Wayne, when I reached that city. 

We at once repaired do his apartments in the 
hotel, where with great pleasure he made me as com¬ 
fortable as possible after my three hour’s ride. Of 
course he was much embarrassed by the awkward 
position in which he was placed, and after assuring 
him of my sympathy and regret for the great loss 
which had befallen him, I came to the point at once. 

“In the first place, Mr. Manning,” I asked, “was 
there any possibility of your being robbed before 
you entered the car in Chicago last night?” 

15 


l6 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

“None whatever,’’firmly shaking his head to em¬ 
phasize his reply. 

“You certainly are aware,” I continued, “this 
must be the starting point of our investigation.” 

“Most assuredly,” he answered with a dignified 
gesture of approval. 

“What proof can you furnish, may I ask?” 

“The cab man with whom I rode to the depot 
and the porter who carried my valises into the 
car.” 

“Did these two valises contain all the valuables 
you claim to have been stolen?” 

“Yes.” 

“Wasn’t five thousand dollars worth of valuables 
a large amount to carry with you in a sleeping 
car?” I inquired with a look of surprise. 

“No sir,” he answered, “there was nothing about 
my valises to attract attention, and had the con¬ 
ductor and porter been attending to their duty this 
robbery could not have been successful.” 

“And do you mean to say that the crew neglected 
their duty, Mr. Manning?” I asked. 

“There can be no doubt of it,” he continued with 
much feeling, “for when I pressed the electric but¬ 
ton to call the porter at four o’clock, I got no re¬ 
sponse and after several ineffectual attempts to 
arouse some one I made my way to the smoking 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


17 


room, the car being quite dark at that time, and 
found the porter asleep on the sofa.” 

“And did you awake him?” 

“Yes sir, I did.” 

“Did you see anything of the conductor?” 

“ I did not, I was informed by that gentleman 
that he retired at the regular hour, three o’clock, 
having first called the porter and as he supposed 
left him on watch before going to bed.” 

“Had you discovered the robbery when you went 
in search of the porter?” 

“No sir, I had not. I was cold and simply wanted 
more clothing on my bed.” 

My bluff and pertinent questions to Mr. Man¬ 
ning, was as much for the purpose of drawing out 
his character, as for the information he was to im¬ 
part. It did not require much time for me to de¬ 
termine, however, that he was a man of superior 
intelligence and although somewhat bewildered 
by the calamity so suddenly thrust upon him, I 
saw the man was perfectly in earnest, and his story 
o*f the robbery showed no conflicting elements. 

“Mr. Manning, whom do you suspect of this 
robbery ?” 

He shook his head and finally said: “Well, I 
have been wandering through the labyrinths of 
doubt all day, first to one and then to another, but 
am unable to fix my suspicion on any one.” 


1 8 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

“Did any one leave the car during the night?” 

“No one got on or off the car, and what makes 
this robbery such a mystery is that the conductor 
and porter are willing to swear that the car was 
locked at both ends, and that no one came in or 
out during the time I was asleep, and yet my 
valises were nowhere to be found this morning.” 

“Well then,” said I, “there can be but one way 
to reason this out. You must have been robbed 
by some one inside the car, and that person must 
have had a confederate on the outside to whom he 
handed your valises, if not through the door then 
through the window, and if so it was planned and 
premeditated in Chicago.” 

“Were you acquainted with any of the passengers 
who rode with you in the car last night?” 

“No, I never saw any of them before this morn¬ 
ing.” 

“How many passengers were there in the car?” 

“Fifteen beside myself—-eleven male and five 
female.” 

“Now, Mr. Manning, some of the passengers in 
this car must have robbed you, if both doors were 
locked. Some of them must have seen you be¬ 
fore last night. Can’t you refresh your memory 
so as to give us some evidence to work on?” 

He seemed to arouse himself from his gloomy 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


19 


reverie, but strange to say, could in no way offer 
a suggestion, from which we could secure a clew, 
and so I decided that we must turn our attention to 
some other source, if we were to make any pro¬ 
gress. 

I at once left Mr. Manning’s room and went 
down stairs to the hotel office, and going to the 
telephone, rang up the depot ticket office and was 
informed by Mr. Upham, the ticket agent of that 
station, that the palace car “Mermaid” had just 
arrived, and was switched onto a side track, await¬ 
ing my instructions. 

Returning to Mr. Manning’s room I informed 
him that the “Mermaid” with its conductor and 
porter was at the depot and invited him to ac¬ 
company me to the car where we could interview 
the two men. 

I found the conductor and porter awaiting our 
arrival when we reached the car. 

I was as equally direct in my questions to the 
conductor as to Mr. Manning. 

“Conductor Pearson,” I inquired, “can you give 
us any information regarding this robbery?” 

“None whatever,” he replied with a smile. “I 
know nothing only what this passenger has told me, 

I went through my regular routine of duties last 
night, and at 3 o’clock, my regular hour after plac- 


20 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


ing the porter on watch, retired. About an hour 
later I was awakened by the porter who told me 
that a passenger in section 8 had been robbed. I 
immediately examined both doors and found them 
locked. I then aroused the sleeping passengers and 
instituted a thorough search after which Mr. Man¬ 
ning left the train at Fort Wayne, intending to re¬ 
turn to Chicago.” 

The conductor’s intelligent, free and open man¬ 
ner impressed me favorably. He had evidently 
performed his duties faithfully and had nothing to 
fear. 

“Mr. Manning received the same courteous at¬ 
tention that all my passengers received,” continued 
Conductor Pearson, “and I was unaware that his 
valises contained such a quantity of valuables.” 

My attention was next directed to the porter. 

“I understand you were sleeping on watch last 
night, George,” was_ my first remark to the anx¬ 
iously waiting porter. 

“No, sah, I never slept on watch in my life,” 
was the courteous reply of this colored man who 
was fast becoming white. 

“Then why didn’t you answer Mr. Manning’s 
bell before he was obliged to go to the smoking 
room to ask you for more clothing for his bed?” 

“Well, sah,” began the now excited gentleman of 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


21 


color, “I can tell you all about dat. As de train was 
leaving Valparaiso,* de bell rang from de rear plat¬ 
form of de car and on going to de door I saw a man 
who wanted to get into de car, I asked him to show 
his ticket; he refused to do so, and I would not 
let him in, I went to de smoking room and he kept 
ringing de bell trying to scare me, so after while 
he stopped when I showed him he couldn’t come 
in on dis chile, 

“A little while after passenger in section 8 came 
to de smoking room and asked me for another 
blanket. 

“After 1 got the blanket for the gentleman’s bed 
he came after me again in a great hurry and said 
he’d been robbed.’’ 

“But, George, tell us more about that man on the 
rear platform,” I inquired, “what kind of looking 
man was he?” 

“Not very tall, short, stubby beard, slouch hat, 
coat up round his neck; s’pose he was trying to 
steal a ride.” 

“At what station did he get on?” 

“Valparaiso, sah.” 

“Do you know where he got off?” 

“De engine took water at Hamilton, and I did 
not see him after.” 

“Do you think you would know him if you saw 
him again, George?” 


22 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“Don’t know, sah, but would try awful hard.” 
“After learning of this robbery in your car this 
morning, did you make any effort toward securing 
the identity of your passengers in case you should 
want them again?” I inquired of the conductor. 

“Yes sir, I have the address of every passenger 
who rode in this car.” 

“At what offices were these tickets sold?” 

“The diagram shows that they were all sold at 

the Harrison Street station, except 7 and 8 which 

\ 

were bought at the Auditorium Hotel.” 

“Then you stopped at the Auditorium, did you, 
Mr. Manning?” 

“Yes sir, I always stop there when in Chicago.” 
“Did you see this man there who occupied sec¬ 
tion 7?” 

“No sir, I don’t think I did.” 

“Well, he bought his ticket there and his name 
on the diagram is Dunn—Dr. Dunn.” 

At this time the 5 o’clock train had reached 
Fort Wayne, for Chicago, which took the “Mer¬ 
maid” in tow and landed us in that city at 8 o’clock 
that evening to follow the slender thread of a clew; 
with what success we will leave the reader to judge. 


CHAPTER IV, 


Upon our arrival in Chicago, I made known to 
the Pullman Palace Car Company, the information 
I had learned at Fort Wayne, and the clews I was 
determined to follow. It is needless to say that 
all my plans met with their hearty approval, and 
they further instructed me to spare neither time 
nor expense in bringing to justice the perpetrators 
of this robbery. 

Although not legally responsible in any way, for 
the loss this passenge rhad sustained by laxity and 
negligence on his own part, yet this company who 
has never known a moment of time either night 
or day, for thirty years, but what it has had within 
its care the lives and properties of thousands of our 
citizens, felt it would be a stigma on their reputa¬ 
tion if this daring robbery should be allowed to go 
unheeded. 

Among the many things we have reason to be 
proud of, is that we live in an age of great discov¬ 
eries, all of which tend to the proud uplifting of 
mankind, to a plane of equals higher, nobler, and 
more lofty than was ever attained in any period of 
28 


24 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


ancient or modern history; and when the Macauley 
of future ages comes to write our history, he will 
not fail to chronicle the fact that one of the great 
motive powers which reared our greatness and 
hastened our civilization to such regal heights was 
the Pullman Palace Car. 

Side by side with the name of Fulton, Newton, 
Morse, Franklin and Edison, will rank the name 
of George M. Pullman, who, from humble and ob¬ 
scure origin, prompted with a brilliant and invent¬ 
ive intellect has seen gilded palaces carrying his 
name before the Kings and Princes of every land, 
bringing together in one common family the prince 
and the peasant, the pilgrim and traveler of every 
clime, until the burden of travel is so lightened 
that we are no longer care-worn foreigners and 
strangers, but of that common brotherhood, of 
which the philosopher taught, and the poet sang. 

No other institution, save perhaps the United 
States Government, spends more money for secret 
service in guarding the rights of the traveling pub¬ 
lic than the Pullman Palace Car Company, until 
it has become useless for dishonesty in any form 
to show itself in their service, without meeting 
with prompt and certain detection. 

On the morning after our arrival in Chicago, 
experienced detectives were placed under my in- 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


25 


struction for the purpose of following up and cap¬ 
turing these thieves. 

Upon going to the Auditorium for the purpose 
of further consultation with Mr. Manning, to ascer¬ 
tain what cities he had visited during the past few 
weeks, I first took occasion to look over the register 
of that Hotel, to see if I could find the name of 
such a guest as Dr. Dunn, and, much to my delight 
found the name of C. A. Dunn, M. D. Salt Lake 
City, Utah. 

I found Mr. Manning in his apartments at the 
Auditorium, feeling much refreshed after a good 
night’s sleep. His greeting was very cordial which 
indicated to me that he was placing the most un¬ 
limited confidence in our ability to secure for him 
his lost property. 

I began by cautioning him not to be too sanguine 
of our success from the plans which I had related 
to him the night before, for the reason that our 
clews might vanish into thin air as soon as we be¬ 
gan to test them, only to find ourselves groping in 
the dark with not a shadow to guide us. 

My caution seemed to avail not and when I saw 
this man who could not himself give us a clew 
forcing his confidence in our ability upon us, I felt 
like weakening under the responsibility. 

“We feel very grateful to you, Mr. Manning, 


26 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


for your generous opinion regarding our future suc¬ 
cess, but I will assure you that far more serious 
thoughts claim our attention this morning. You 
omitted telling me in your conversation yesterday 
what cities you had visited before coming to Chi¬ 
cago. ” 

“I left ’Frisco on the ioth of last month,” was 
the reply, “and, after spending three days in Port¬ 
land, I reached Ogden on the 15th, and came down 
to Salt Lake the following day. 

“At Salt Lake I was laid up at the Nutsford with 
an attack of the grip for ten days. This delayed 
me in reaching New York one week, and so instead 
of stopping off at Denver, Lincoln, Omaha and 
Kansas City, I skipped direct from Salt Lake to 
Chicago.” 

“What doctor attended you at Salt Lake while 
you were sick with the grip?” 

“Dr. Scott, a bright little chap who had just 
settled there from Ohio.” 

* “How did you come to engage Dr. Scott?” 

“There was a man sick with the grip in the room 
adjoining mine whom the doctor was attending, 
and I requested the bell boy to have the physician 
call at my room when he visited his other patient.” 

“How long were you under the doctor’s care?” 

“Eight days, I believe.” 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


27 


“Did you have a nurse?” 

“Yes, a man who had at one time been a doctor 
in some mountain town, but becoming reduced in 
circumstances, was obliged to abandon his profes¬ 
sion and is now making a living in Salt Lake as a 
nurse.” 

“What was his name?” 

“Dr. Ledger Wood.” 

“Did either-of these men know the value of the 
samples of jewelry you had in your valises?” 

“Yes, I think they did, for when the doctor in¬ 
formed me that I was likely to be sick for several 
weeks, I had him take my valises to the office and 
see they were locked in the safe.” 

This information was enough to convince me 
that I would be justified in sending an experienced 
detective to Salt Lake. I therefore chose for that 
purpose Mr, Augustus Bell, a man who I knew 
could be implicitly trusted to furnish me with re¬ 
liable information regarding Dr. Scott and this 
nurse, Ledger Wood. 

I also placed another operative, Mr. John De¬ 
laney at Valparaiso with instructions to visit all the 
adjoining towns between that city and Fort Wayne, 
and ascertain if a man answering the description 
given by the porter and who attempted to force 
his way into the car on the morning when this rob¬ 
bery took place, was known in that vicinity. 


CHAPTER V. 


Upon Bell’s arrival in Salt Lake, he was driven 
to the Nutsford Hotel and asked if he could be 
given room 85 which favor was kindly granted to 
him by the suave and polished clerk. 

The following morning Bell rang for the porter 
and asked him to get him a physician as he was 
not feeling well. 

“Have you any preference in physicians?’’ asked 
the porter. 

“What physician prescribes most for the guests 
of your house?” 

“Dr. Scott lives here in the house and being a 
good physician we recommend him to all our 
guests.” 

“Just ask him if he will call here before going 
out this morning,” said Bell. 

In a short time there was a rap at Bell’s door, 
and a man carrying a medicine chest walked in 
whom Bell saluted with “Good morning, Doctor.” 

Dr. Scott always considers a smiling face part 
of his profession, and in a genial, humorous mood, 
28 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


29 


soon ingratiated himself into the mind of his new 
patient. 

“The water in this country, Doctor, is playing 
havoc with my system,” was the first intimation 
that the doctor received from the sick man. 

“Yes,” returned the pleasant doctor, “that is 
quite a common occurrence with strangers who 
visit our city.” 

“Then you are called upon to prescribe for trav¬ 
eling men occasionally, are you, Doctor?” 

“O, quite frequently; it was only last week that 
I was attending a man sick in this room with the 
grip.” 

“Indeed Doctor; well, do my symptoms indicate 
anything of the kind?” 

“No, I think not,” replied the genial physician. 

“How long was your patient sick in this room?” 

“Something like two weeks.” 

“And did he have to remain shut up in this room 
for two weeks ?” 

“Yes sir, that was one of my prescriptions,” 
laughingly replied the doctor. “But I got good 
company for him; he wanted some one stay in the 
room all the time with him, so 1 was acquainted 
with a jovial fellow here in the city and introduced 
him to the patient, and I never saw two men get so 
interested in each other’s company.” 


30 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“Why can’t you get this man for me, Doctor? 
I need a jovial companion as much as your other 
patient did.” 

“I can if he is in the city.” 

“Do you know where he lives?” 

“On 2nd, South Temple, I think.” 

The sick man now pressed the electric button 
which summons was soon answered by a bell boy. 

“I want you to do an errand for me and go with 
Doctor Scott to 2nd, South Temple, and see if you 
can get that man who nursed the patient sick 
with the grip in this room last week. The doctor 
will direct you where to go and then by inquiring 
you can find the place easy enough,” and at the 
same time Bell dropped a silver half dollar into the 
boy’s hand. 

It was remarkable how clear and perceptible the 
boy’s mind became as soon as he received the half 
dollar. 

“Oh, nevermind, Doctor, you needn'tgo, I know 
where he lives, only what name will I enquire for? 

“Ledger Wood; here, I will write it down for you 
so you won’t forget it.” Bell at the same time 
wrote the name on a slip of paper and was in the 
act of handing it to the boy when that now agile 
messenger took the name from Doctor Scott and 
left the room like a flash. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


31 


After the exchange of a few more pleasantries 
between the sick man and his physician the doctor 
left the room, saying he would drop in again after 
dinner and see that his wants were supplied. 

“That’s right,” thought Bell to himself, with a 
smile, after the doctor had closed the door. “I’m 
a very sick man by the way.” 

In the course of an hour the bell boy returned 
and informed my operative that Wood was not at 
his boarding place on 2nd South Temple street and 
the landlady informed him that he had not been 
there for several days. 

Bell appeared greatly disappointed at this news 
and, giving another half dollar to the boy, asked him 
to go back and inquire of the landlady when she 
expected Wood or where a letter would reach him. 

About 11 o’clock the boy returned with scarcely 
any additional information, only adding that Mrs. 
Brigham, Wood’s landlady, did not know where 
he had gone or when he would return and, as he 
had taken all his things away, she did not expect 
a letter from him. 

Bell then dismissed the boy and telegraphed to 
me at Chicago what information he had received. 

Early in the afternoon Doctor Scott paid a sec¬ 
ond visit to Bell’s room and found the patient 
mentally distressed from loneliness as he expressed 


32 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


it: “Why Doctor,” said Bell, “I have sent that 
boy a second, time after Mr. Wood and his land¬ 
lady informed him each time that he had left the 
city and could not say when he would return.” 

“Well, that is news to me,” said the doctor. 

“Do you think he will be away long, Doctor?” . 

“I have not the slightest idea.” 

“Does he make Salt Lake his home?” 

“No, he is an eastern man, so he informed me, 
and his parents reside in Lynn, Mass., near Bos¬ 
ton. He is a graduate of Harvard and has been 
traveling for some months in the west for the pur¬ 
pose of seeing the country. He called at my office 
a few weeks ago and informed me he contemplated 
returning home and studying medicine at the Bos¬ 
ton Medical College. 

“Well, there’s where he has gone,” remarked 
Bell as a feeler. 

“No, it can’t be possible that he would leave the 
city without coming to see me.” 

“But probably he intends to write to you, Doc¬ 
tor.” 

Although a little surprised, the doctor dismissed 
the matter without further comment and took his 
leave of my operative, promising to call the next 
day. 

The cool and wily detective again wired me a 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


33 


ciphered despatch and gave full details of what he 
had learned from the man who carried the medi¬ 
cine chest. 

Upon receipt of which I telegraphed to the 
trustees of Harvard College inquiring if a person 
named Ledger Wood from Lynn, Mass, had ever 
attended that college. 

I also wired a second despatch to the chief of 
police of Lynn, inquiring if such a man as Ledger 
Wood belonged in that city. The authorities at 
Harvard promptly informed me that the sirname 
of Wood appeared frequently among their list of 
students, but that of “Ledger Wood” was no where 
to be found. 

From chief of police, Bartlett, of Lynn, I was in¬ 
formed that Ledger Wood had formerly resided in 
that city with his parents, but had left there some¬ 
thing over a year ago and was generally supposed 
to be somewhere in the west, although his parents 
had not heard from him for some months. 

I now determined upon receipt of this infor¬ 
mation to transfer Bell from Salt Lake, and send 
Ed. Foley another of my trusty operatives to board 
for a few months with Mrs. Brigham at Salt Lake. 
Upon Foley’s arrival in that city he at once en¬ 
gaged accommodations with Wood’s former land¬ 
lady and represented himself as an eastern gentle- 

jjetktive 3 


34 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


man who was traveling for his health and would 
remain in Salt Lake for some weeks to be near the 
hot sulphur springs so popular in that city. 

The second day after his arrival he called on 
Doctor Scott for medical treatment, informing the 
genial doctor that he was an eastern man travel¬ 
ing in the west in search of health. He talked 
fluently with the doctor regarding Boston, his na¬ 
tive city, its famous schools and universities and 
would occasionally refer to the great shoe town of 
Lynn. 

The conversation had not progressed far before 
the doctor inquired of Foley if he was acquainted 
with a young man in that city by the name of 
Ledger Wood. 

“I knew him well before he went west,” was 
operative Foley’s laconic reply. 

“He was here in Salt Lake until a few days ago,” 
resumed the doctor. 

“I want to know,” replied Foley. “I would only 
have been too glad to have seen him. Do you 
know where he has gone?” 

“I do not, but expect to hear from him by every 
mail.” 

“In case you do will you tell him that there is an 
old schoolmate of his who has come on from Bos¬ 
ton, and would be glad to see him.” 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 35 

“Sure,” was the doctor’s reply. 

Foley then visited all the depots and express 
offices to ascertain what baggage had been shipped 
East over the Rio Grande, Western, and Union 
Pacific, on or about the 28th of the previous month. 
But after a close inquiry the detective was satisfied 
that Mrs. Brigham’s boarder had no baggage check¬ 
ed on the day of his departure. 


CHAPTER VI. 


While we were diligently engrossed in our inves¬ 
tigation at Salt Lake we received a report from op¬ 
erative John Delaney, in whose hands we entrust¬ 
ed the operations at Valparaiso, which promised to 
be of great importance. 

Operative Delaney informed us that a man 
answering the name of Cy Winkler had been loiter¬ 
ing about the railroad station at that place at 
unseasonable hours every night for something like 
a week before the robbery occurred and since that 
time nothing had been seen of him. 

The man was described as of medium height, 
short, stubby beard, with black coat and derby hat, 
and what excited the most suspicion was that he 
was rarely seen during the day, and when at the 
depot seemed to have complete knowledge ‘of the 
arrival and departure of all trains. 

It was noticed by the depot master at Valparaiso 
that he was at the depot the night of the robbery 
but was not seen there after the train had departed 
which justified the belief that he had secreted him¬ 
self somewhere on the train. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


37 


Delaney made diligent inquiries to find out 
where this man lived while in town, but after every 
hotel and boarding house in the place had been 
visited, the detective came to the conclusion that 
he had not stopped in Valparaiso. 

It was evident that my operative had discovered 
important information, and it was also evident that 
if this man was the real criminal we were after he 
was of that cunning, wily character, that was likely 
to defy our most desperate efforts, after perhaps a 
long and fruitless pursuit, for nothing could pre¬ 
vent him from shaving off his stubby beard, dress¬ 
ing himself in the finest, traveling and mixing with 
the world without the slightest fear of detection. 

My instructions to Delaney were to the effect that 
he could not be far behind Winkler and to bend all 
his efforts towards locating him, and to follow no 
other clew. I also instructed him to visit all de¬ 
pots along the route, and have the night watch in¬ 
structed to scrutinize every man who boarded trains 
during their hours of duty, and if anything of a 
suspicious character was discovered to have the 
matter reported to the railroad officials at once. 

Eugene Harrington, another trusty operative, 
was also despatched to Fort Wayne, to watch the 
Nickel Plate Depot at that city, and to place all 
trains entering and departing from that end of the 
town under the strictest surveillance. 


3 » 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


That night after Delaney saw Harrington located 
at Fort Wayne, he left the city at about 8 o’clock 
on an accommodation train and stopped off at Val¬ 
paraiso about 9:30. After the train pulled out of 
the depot and everything became quiet, Delaney 
walked up and down the track, keeping a close watch 
on the depot and its surroundings. 

Sometime after 10 o’clock a team drove up to 
the depot and after backing up to the platform 
began loading sacks and boxes of groceries. Dela¬ 
ney, who was on the alert to know what parties 
frequented this station at such a late hour, ad¬ 
vanced toward the platform and finding some pre¬ 
text engaged the man in conversation. 

In the course of their talk the detective learned 
that the teamster was the proprietor of a small 
country store at a village called White Hall, some 
eight miles from the railroad and had come to 
town, as he called Valparaiso, to draw home his 
stock of groceries after his days work. 

“How large a village is White Hall?” inquired 
Manning. 

“Twenty houses, perhaps,” was the grocer’s reply, 
“and about one hundred people.” 

“Are you pretty well acquainted in the surround¬ 
ing country?” 

“Well, I was brought up thefe; I ought to be.” 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


39 


“Do you know a man by the name of Cy Wink¬ 
ler anywhere in that neighborhood ?” 

“I know who you mean, but that is not his right 
name; you mean Frank Fletcher.” 

“I mean a man of medium height, short, stubby 
beard, wears a black coat and derby hat,” answered 
Delaney. 

“Yes, that is the man; he rode in with me from 
School House Four Corners, one night about a 
week ago,” returned the grocer. 

“Didhe ride back with you?” 

“No, I told him I would have a load back and 
would not be able to carry him; I suppose he 
walked back.” 

“What is his business?” inquired the detective. 

“Nothing just now, I guess; he was a traveling 
salesman for a Chicago House for several years 
when I used to buy groceries of him, but he stop¬ 
ped working for them about a month ago, and he 
told me the other night that he didn’t care whether 
he done any work for the next few months or not.” 

“Is he a man of steady habtis?” 

“Not as much as he might be, I guess,” grinned 
the grocer. “As I understand from other drum¬ 
mers that was the reason the house let him go.” 

“What house did he travel for?” inquired De¬ 
laney. 


4 o 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“Seman & Benedict, wholesale grocers, Lake 
Street, Chicago.” 

“How does he come to be in White Hall, is his 
home out that way?” 

“No, sir, no home there that I know of, but 
simply ‘roughing it alone’ as he calls it.” 

“Have you seen him in the last three or four days ?” 

“No, I don’t think I have.” 

“Do you know where a letter would reach him?” 

“I think his family lives in Burlington, Iowa, but 
whether he lives with his family or not, I don’t 
know.” 

The grocer had evidently talked as long as he 
cared to, considering the lateness of the hour, so 
mounting his seat and bidding our wily detective 
good night, drove away. 

Delaney, believing that he had secured valuable 
information, came to Chicago on an early morning 
train and gave me a complete and detailed account 
of what he had learned the previous night. 

After listening to Delaney’s report I went di¬ 
rectly to the office of Seman & Benedict, on Lake 
Street, and inquired if they had a drummer in 
their employ by the name of Frank Fletcher. 

I was informed by the firm that Fletcher had 
got through traveling for the house about a month 
previous, leaving his accounts largely overdrawn. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


41 


In the course of the interview I was told that 
during the last year Fletcher had gone from gamb¬ 
ling to dissipation, and had collected money from 
customers whom he sold to on the road without 
rendering a satisfactory account, and it had become 
a question with the house whether they should 
discharge Fletcher or lose their customers. 

I was also informed that Fletcher was not a 
domestic man, and although married to a beautiful 
and accomplished wife had not lived with her for 
some months. 

“Do you know where I could find him in case I 
wanted to see him on a matter of business ?” 

“ He has always made his home in Burlington, 
Iowa, but, am not sure where you could find him, 
as I believe he has not lived with his family for 
some time and we have heard nothing of his where¬ 
abouts since he left the firm.” 

Feeling very thankful for the meager informa¬ 
tion I had received from the Messrs. Seman & Ben¬ 
edict I returned to my hotel and, after arranging 
new plans, Delaney returned at once to the scene 
of his labors at Valparaiso, until we could hear 
something of interest from Fletcher’s home in 
Burlington. 


CHAPTER VII. 


It was a beautiful summer morning in the month 
of June when Detective Dilloway reached Burling¬ 
ton, Iowa, just four days after the robbery of Car¬ 
lyle Manning, in the Palace Car “Mermaid” near 
Valparaiso, Indiana. 

After partaking of a hearty breakfast in the din¬ 
ing-room of the St. Cloud Hotel, Mr. Dilloway 
inquired of the clerk of the house if Frank Fletcher 
was stopping there. 

“Do you mean the traveling man for Seman & 
Benedict of Chicago?” 

“Yes, sir,” said Dilloway with a'feeling of satis¬ 
faction at meeting another of Fletcher’s acquaint¬ 
ances. 

“Oh, no sir, his home is in this city and he 
sometimes calls here to seethe boys, but has never 
been a guest of the house in my time.” 

“Have you seen him within the last week?” 

“No, I haven’t seen Frank in a month.” 

“Well, I have a letter for him from a friend of 
his, and I would like to see him if he is in the 
city.” 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


43 


“Your best plan would be to see his wife who 
lives with her brother, Henry Alden, and she can 
probably give you the desired information.” 

“Where is Mr. Alden’s home?” 

“Vineyard Avenue, at the corner of High Street.” 

“Oh, thanks,” replied Mr. Dilloway in his suave 
and polished style, “I must try and see Mrs. 
Fletcher,” and leaving the hotel made his way to¬ 
ward Vineyard Avenue. 

Upon reaching the corner of High Street, Dil¬ 
loway found himself in front of a large frame dwel¬ 
ling house ornamented with many of the architec¬ 
tural touches of modern construction. 

“What a beautiful home,” thought Dilloway. 
With its spacious surrounding of shade trees and 
flowers, just below which rolled the great Father 
of Waters, carrying the mind back over countless 
ages when that now beautiful land was once the 
home and hunting ground of the primitive children 
of the forest. 

Opening the gate and entering the yard the de¬ 
tective was saluted with a “good morning” by a mid¬ 
dle aged gentleman who was arranging some flow¬ 
er beds in the front yard. 

“Can you tell me where I could see Mr. Frank 
Fletcher?” asked my operative in a sort of a hale 
fellow well met way, that would not be apt to at¬ 
tract suspicion. 


44 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“No sir, I cannot,” was the stern reply of the 
man from whose face had now flown all traces of 
an interesting smile. 

“Well, lam traveling for a Chicago house,”said 
Dilloway. While watching every expression on 
the man’s face to whom he was talking. “And 
one of Frank’s friends asked me if I would call this 
morning and discharge a little errand for him.” 

“His wife is in the house, she might know, but 
I don’t know nor don’t want to,” replied the gar¬ 
dener with a look of stern res&ntfulness in his face. 

“Why,” replied Dilloway with a seeming look of 
surprise. “I thought he lived here.” 

“No sir, his wife is my sister, she lives here be¬ 
cause I brought her here after he had abandoned 
her and refused to live with her.” 

“Oh,” said the detective with a look of embar¬ 
rassment, “that is something I did not know any¬ 
thing about, I simply called here to discharge an 
errand for a friend the same as I would be pleased 
to have any one do for me.” 

“That’s all right,” said the man in an apologiz¬ 
ing tone, “just step into the house; his wife is there, 
she will tell you all she knows about him.” 

With a gesture of assent Dilloway walked up to 
the frontdoor, rang the bell, and in a few moments 
a pleasant-faced lady appeared at the door; inquir- 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


45 


ing if he could see Mrs. Fletcher and being informed 
in the affirmative he was invited into the parlor 
to await her coming. 

After a few moments a tall, dark comple^ioned 
young woman entered the room, and with a severe 
and inquiring gaze akin to doubt and suspicion, 
nodded more at space than at my operative and 
asked, “Do you want to see me?” 

“I simply want to discharge an errand to your 
husband for a friend of his in Chicago, and would 
like to inquire where I could see him.” 

The stern expression of the woman now gave 
way to a feeling of relaxed indifference; she said 
she thought he was in Philadelphia to which city 
he went some ten days ago on business, and con¬ 
trary to his regular custom had not written to her. 

Dilloway expressed much regret at not being able 
to deliver his message which he believed was of 
important moment to Mr. Fletcher. 

This solicitude only served to arouse the curi¬ 
osity of Mrs. Fletcher who inquired, “What is the 
character of your errand to my husband?” 

“I suppose the house in which my friend is em¬ 
ployed has a situation to offer him, and he under¬ 
stands that he doesn’t care to work any longer for 
his present employers.” 

“Well, if you will leave your friends message with 




46 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

me, I will send it to my husband as soon as I hear 
from him.” 

“I would not like to do that, but I will leave the 
address of my friend with you, and if your hus¬ 
band will write him or call upon him,” replied my 
fertile operative, “he might learn of so mething 
to his interest.” 

Here the detective took out his note book and 
wrote the name of Charles F. Blake, P. O. Box 
2107, Chicago, which was the number of the box 
at which I was receiving my mail in connection 
with my investigation of this case. 

Dilloway never expected that this address would 
be used, but simply gave it to Mrs. Fletcher to 
allay suspicion of a serious nature. It was remark¬ 
able, however, to see what interest this woman took 
in anything that was likely to be for the welfare 
of the man who had abandoned her. 

Officers of the law have known cases in their ex¬ 
perience when fathers, actuated by what they con¬ 
sidered the highest motives, have delivered up their 
sons to the law, and, though the ordeal was an ex¬ 
ceedingly trying and distressing one, they never 
faltered for a moment in what they considered the 
performance of their duty. I need not say that 
such evidence of self-sacrifice was painful to me, 
and that my feelings were always deeply touched 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


47 


by the mental sufferings of the poor criminals, who 
in the hour of their sorest need, found themselves 
deserted by the only friends upon whom they 
believed they could rely in an emergency which 
threatened disgrace and servitude. 

While this is true it is equally certain that I 
have yet to record a single case in which a female 
relative ever assisted in any manner toward the 
apprehension of a criminal. No power seemed 
able to force from her a word that would tend to 
work him injury, and though her heart was break¬ 
ing, and her love for the lost one had passed away, 
yet with a persistence worthy of all admiration, 
she refused to do aught that would add to the 
misery of the fallen one; and, if occasion offered, 
invariably rendered her assistance to secure his 
escape. 

“1 may hear from him in a day or two,” she re¬ 
marked, as Dilloway was leaving the house. “And 
as soon as I do, I will send him this address of 
your friend.” 


CHAPTER VIII. 


Upon leaving Mrs. Fletcher’s home, Dilloway 
did so with the belief that the abandoned wife knew 
nothing of her husband’s whereabouts, and so felt 
justified in making inquiries as to Fletcher’s other 
relatives. In doing so, he learned that Fletcher’s 
home was near Keokuk, a river town about fifty 
miles south from Burlington. 

As no further advantage was likely to be gained 
by Dilloway’s remaining in Burlington, I instructed 
him to at once proceed to Keokuk, and make 
diligent inquiries regarding the relatives of Fletcher 
in that city and ascertain if possible if any of his 
family were in communication with him. 

My operative had no trouble in getting abund¬ 
ant information of Fletcher’s former life. His 
father was a hard working, thrifty farmer, who had 
saved an honorable competence and used it for the 
best interest of his family. 

He had reason to enjoy a legitimate pride, for to 
him life had not been a failure. He had joined 
the tide of emigration, that had set it face west¬ 
ward from the middle states thirty years before, 
48 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


49 


and finding employment on the boats that plied 
up and down the Mississippi, between the new 
settlements or landings, had saved from his scanty 
earnings enough to erect a comfortable farmhouse 
in which he raised and educated his family. Dur¬ 
ing the palmy days of navigation on the river Mr. 
Fletcher had divided his time between the farm 
and the water, and by his business tact and strict 
economy had secured for himself a desirable home. 

His oldest son Frank early became tired of the 
drudging life of a farmer, and chrough the influ¬ 
ence of friends secured a position in the office of a 
starch manufacturer in Keokuk, which place he 
occupied with much credit to himself for several 
years, and when the firm established an office in 
Chicago, he was transferred to that city as its book¬ 
keeper. 

Previous to his departure from Keokuk, however, 
he became enamored and engaged to the beautiful 
Helen Alden of Burlington, and soon after he lo¬ 
cated in Chicago,' the happy couple were married 
with every prospect of future success. Their apart- * 
ments on Michigan Avenue 'enjoyed the most 
delightful location in the city, and had Frank 
Fletcher possessed thrift and economy he might 
have become one of Chicago’s most prosperous 
citizens. 

Detective 4 


50 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

But idle to say, the race course, the stock ex¬ 
change and scores of other wild fantastic dreams 
fired his mind into psasions over which he had 
lost alll control. This destroying passion to be¬ 
come suddenly rich prompted him to grasp at every 
straw within his reach. The influence and con¬ 
fidence of his friends were sacrificed, their credit 
and Indorsement sought, the money of the firm 
used, all in a wild desire to make himsdf independ¬ 
ent. 

Any one of ordinary intelligence could see that 
this course of reckless speculation was doomed to 
a short existence and in the end, would bring 
down the man to the folly he was inviting. 

As is very often the case these passions drive 
from the heart, all the finer feelings of human 
nature, and in this case it was no exception. Fletch¬ 
er forgot the noble instincts which was the inheri¬ 
tance of his early life. And the advantages which 
he had secured over a less fortunate schoolmate 
were lost sight of. 

He lost all interest in his firm’s welfare, and 
staked his hopes of future success in the most cer¬ 
tain of failures—the gambling table. 

But why waste time telling the same old story 
of the rise, success, downfall and ruin, of those 
who were once the lofty temples in which were 
treasured our cherished hopes. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


5 * 


My operative, Dilloway, reached Keokuk from 
Burlington unobserved on an evening train, and 
going to the Eagle House at that city was assign¬ 
ed to a room and at once retired for the night. 

Early the next morning the detective came down 
stairs and loitered about the waiting-room before 
any of the rest of the house was astir. His excuse 
to the clerk of the house for getting around so 
early was that he contemplated going out a few 
miles in the country to see an old friend of his, 
Frank Fletcher, for the purpose of securing his 
services as a salesman for a wholesale house in 
Peoria. 

“Do you know is Frank at home?” inquired the 
detective. 

“The last time I saw Fletcher was about three 
weeks ago.” 

“How far does his father live from the city?” 

“Two miles and a half on the old turnpike road,” 
was the courteous response. 

From inquiries at the railroad station after break¬ 
fast, the detective was informed that Fletcher must 
have left town by some other conveyance than 
the railroad on his last visit to Keokuk, as the 
agent did not remember having sold him a ticket 
and the conductor said that he had not rode in 
his train for a month. 


52 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


Dilloway was also informed that on Fletcher’s 
last visit to Keokuk his appearance was of a de¬ 
cidedly changed character, he seemed to have no 
desire to cultivate the friendship of any of his old 
acquaintances, and acted as if he keenly felt the 
loss of prestige which a lucrative position had al¬ 
ways secured for him. 

About nine O’clock Dilloway started out to pay a 
visit to the farmhouse of John Fletcher. After 
a pleasant drive of two miles and a half along an 
elevated embankment from which he could see on 
one side the mighty waters of the Mississippi roll, 
and on the other vast fields of wheat and corn, roll¬ 
ing prairies, herds of cactle and horses and many 
beautiful farmhouses until the eye could drink with¬ 
out fatigue the majestic outlines of the surrounding 
country and the midsummer glories of a great, free, 
and prosperous people. 

Within a short distance of the house he was about 
to visit, my operative informed the driver that he 
was a great lover of trout fishing and was going 
to search the adjacent streams for the speckled 
beauties and, paying him for his services, the livery¬ 
man returned toward the city leaving the detective 
to find his way alone for the rest of the journey. 

Advancing a short distance further Dilloway came 
to a large old-fashioned farmhouse, which although 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


53 


the worse for age, had all the appearance of frugal¬ 
ity, thrift and happiness. There were to be seen 
in all directions around it signs and tokens of care 
and attention, arbors, flowers, shade trees, vines 
foliage and a hundred other things that go to make 
up an ideal western home. 

Upon the spacious piazza of his farmhouse, 
Dilloway found Mr. John Fletcher, or “Uncle 
John” as he was familiarly known. He was of 
that frank, whole-souled, disposition which made 
his acquaintance desirable and agreeable. 

“Could I see Mr. Fletcher?” was the detective’s 
first question. 

“Yes, sir, that is my name,” replied the sun¬ 
burned landlord. 

“Well, I live in Burlington, and as I was com¬ 
ing down this way, your son’s wife, who is stop¬ 
ping at her brother’s house in that city, asked me 
to take a message for her to her husband—your 
son Frank—whom she said was stopping here.” 

“My son has not been here in a month, and I 
suppose he is traveling for his house in Chicago.” 

It was evident that Mr. Fletcher had not heard 
of his son’s dismissal from that position. 

“Frank has not been working in Chicago for 
several weeks,” said Dilloway, “and my object in 
calling here is for the purpose of hiring him to 
travel for us.” 


54 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“What business is your house engaged in?” 

“Wholesale grocers,” and taking from his pocket 
a finely printed card of Gilbert & Co., of Chicago, 
presented it to Mr. Fletcher as the business card 
of his firm. 

Mr. Fletcher seemed to be in a quandary, and 
as Dilloway saw it was all news to him, he came to 
the conclusion that he knew nothing of his son’s 
whereabouts. 

“Why, Frank never wrote us a word about this, 
which is something very unusual for him to do.” 

“I am very sorry,” replied the wily detective, “as 
we could give him a steady situation, if you could 
give me his address.” 

“That is something I would only be too glad to 
do, if I was able,” replied the unsuspecting old 
gentleman. 

Here Mr. Fletcher invited Dilloway into the 
house where he introduced him to his wife and two 
daughters, and explained to them the nature of 
his visit. The family expressed great surprise at 
the news which Dilloway imparted to them, and 
assured him that just as soon as they could hear 
of his whereaboufs, they would willingly give him 
the desired information. 

“How strange are the workings of circum¬ 
stances,” thought the detective, as. he rose to leave 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


55 


the house. “Here is a happy home, a family sur¬ 
rounded by wealth, refinement and luxury, peace¬ 
ful and contented, while a beloved member of it is 
now an outcast, from the world, a fugitive from 
justice, hiding from the officers of the law, and 
vainly seeking to elude the grasp that sooner or 
later will be laid upon his shoulder.” 

The detective retraced his steps to the city, ad¬ 
miring the beautiful foliage filled with sunshine 
and the song of birds, the murmuring of the waters, 
while his mind was peopled with the thoughts of 
home scenes and domestic comfort, and a weary, 
travel-stained criminal, hungry and foot-sore, who 
was lurking in the darkness, endeavoring to escape 
from the consequences of his crime. 


CHAPTER IX. 


From conductor Joe. Pearson we learned that 
Dr. Dunn’s railroad ticket was limited to Harris¬ 
burg, and when Bell reached Chicago on his re¬ 
turn from Salt Lake, I instructed him to proceed 
at once to the former city, and make a thorough 
investiagtion of the depots, hotels and boarding 
houses of that place. Supplying him with a de¬ 
scription of the goods we were in search of, I re¬ 
quested him to visit all jewelry stores, loan offices 
and gambling houses, and if he should find a con¬ 
necting link with the articles stolen from the palace 
car “Mermaid,” to wire me at once. 

As no time was to be lost, Bell left on the first 
train, reaching Harrisburg the following morning. 
From a description of Dunn’s handwriting, which 
the detective had taken from the Auditorium reg¬ 
ister, he found no comparison in any hotel he vis¬ 
ited, and after spending the day in a fruitless 
search in all parts of that city had about decided 
to continue his journey to Lynn, Mass. 

About six o’clock that evening, as Bell was 
seated in the barroom of the Keystone House wait- 
56 




Manning recognizes the finest of the lost diamonds 


Pullman Car Detective. 









































































































• • 









THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


57 


ing for the arrival of the limited express from 
Chicago, upon which he was to leave for New York, 
he noticed a magnificently cut diamond glistening 
in the shirt front of the bartender which attracted 
his curiosity at once. 

This man had just come on duty for the night, 
and as the electric lights flashed on the costly 
diamond, it attracted the attention of all present. 
Bell at once approached the bar, and calling for a 
glass of beer, remained standing, sipping and gaz¬ 
ing. 

“By jove, ain’t you sporting beyond your 
means?” carelessly remarked Bell to the bartender. 

“No, I guess not; it only cost me twenty-five 
dollars, but I wouldn’t sell it for ten times that 
amount,” he replied as he looked down on the 
bright glistening opal in his immaculate white shirt 
front. 

“How did you run in with such luck?” said Bell. 

“Oh, a friend of mine was passing this way and 
happened to be a little hard up. I just had the 
cash, and got it at my own price.” 

“Well, I wouldn't mind meeting such a friend 
myself,” continued Bell, “especially if he had any. 
more such bargains as that.” 

“It would have been easy if you had been here 
about a week ago and had the cash to spare, you 


5* 


THE PULL-MAN CAR DETECTIVE 


could have got a good bargain. It was a fellow 
who claimed he had a lot of these goods left on 
his hands by advancing money on them, and they 
were only his as unredeemed pledges. He did not 
know anything about the value of the stones and 
only wanted to get the money back that he had 
advanced on them.” 

“Did he sell many in town, do you know?” 

“I don’t think he did, as he only remained in 
town one afternoon and spent most of his time 
here.” 

“Where was he bound for?” 

“Well, he left here for Pittsburgh, where he ex¬ 
pected to meet a friend who was coming on from 
Salt Lake City.” 

“I am going to Pittsburgh myself, to-night,” re¬ 
plied Bell. “What kind of a looking man was he, 
so I would know him if I should happen to meet 
him ?” 

“He is a man about thirty years of age, medium 
height, well dressed in a new suit of clothes, clean 
shaven face, quite a smooth talker, and before go¬ 
ing into this business, I think, was a traveling 
salesman.” 

“Do you know where I would be likely to see 
him in Pittsburgh, if he was still in that city?” 

“I have no idea; he simply told me he was going 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


59 


there to meet a friend who was coming on from the 
west/’ 

As Bell now believed that he had secured all the 
information the bartender could give him, he went 
to his room and prepared a ciphered despatch 
which he wired to me, giving full information of all 
he had learned from the proud owner of the dia¬ 
mond. 

I at once instructed him to await the arrival of 
Manning, in Harrisburg, who would reach there 
on the following day for the purpose of identifying 
the diamond, and if it proved to be the property 
stolen, for them both to go to Pittsburgh, sepa¬ 
rately, and see what facts might be developed in 
that city. 

At noon the next day, Manning reached Harris¬ 
burg, and going to the Keystone Hotel, found the 
detective anxiously awaiting his arrival. The two 
men did not recognize each other, but Manning fol¬ 
lowed Bell upstairs into the latter’s room where 
they both entered unobserved and locked the door 

Bell then cautioned Manning that great care 
must be used as the bartender belonged in the 
house and might then be asleep in his room, and 
the importance of this step was of great moment to 
our future operations. 

“For,” said Bell, “if this diamond is your prop- 


6o 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


erty, we have found a clew and are on the right 
trail at last. The bartender informed me that the 
man who sold him this opal spent most of his time 
in the barroom, which was evidently for the pur¬ 
pose of avoiding publicity during the day, and that 
he bought the diamond that night just as the man 
was leaving the saloon, perhaps somewhat under 
the influence of liquor. ” 

Soon after this conversation occurred the two 
men strolled into the barroom and sitting at a 
table, called for the drinks, and while chatting 
over their cups, Bell was posting Manning about 
the lay of the land. 

“The night man will come on at six o’clock,” 
remarked my operative. “And any time after that 
hour I wish you would come in here and see if 
you can identify your property, and after a careful 
observation, if you determine that the diamond was 
among the ones you lost, the clew will be estab¬ 
lished, and we will leave for Pittsburgh at once.” 

Soon after the bartender came on duty that 
night, Manning, in company with other guests of 
the hotel, came down to the bar and began treat¬ 
ing his friends. It did not require long for the ex¬ 
perienced eye of the lapidary to determine the rare 
value of the shining jewel, and with a smile he re¬ 
marked: “Well, you wear costly trinkets, don’t 
you?” 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


6l 


“Not very,” the bartender replied, as he moved 
nearer to Manning so that he could examine the 
stone that sent such flashes of life and light in all 
directions, “it only cost me twenty-five dollars.” 

As each guest was inspecting the precious gem, 
Manning saw the trade mark of Tiffany & Co., 
and turning it sideways, saw the number 3842 on 
the back, which answered a number he had on his 
memorandum book, and was also on the books of 
the firm in New York. 

This completed Manning’s identity, he recog¬ 
nized the trade mark, knew the workmanship and 
pattern and had secured the number of the jewel 
which corresponded with the number in his pocket. 
Going to Bell’s room, he found that gentleman 
anxiously awaiting him. His first remark was, 
“That was the finest jewel in my case; it is worth 
eight hundred dollars, and I suppose that fellow 
bought it for anything he had a mind to pay,” 

“Just what I supposed,” replied Bell. 

Manning stood up in perfect astonishment and 
acted as if he was completely dazed at what he 
had seen. 

“Sit down,” said the cool headed detective. “It 
will not do for us to make any rash moves at the 
discovery of new evidence, as it might destroy all 
future plans. 0 


62 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


Manning talked desperate, and my operative was 
fearful lest he might go back to the barroom and 
demand the stolen jewel as his property, which 
would work complete ruin to our advancing opera¬ 
tions and so succeeded in persuading the enraged 
man to depart with him that night on the ten 
o’clock train for Pittsburgh. 



CHAPTER X. 


The day after Bell and Manning reached Pitts¬ 
burgh, I received a telegram from my operative, 
Ed. Foley, at Salt Lake City, informing me that 
Mrs. Brigham, the landlady, had received a letter 
that morning from her former boarder, Ledger 
Wood, requesting her to forward any letters that 
might come for him to E. C. Ledgerwood, Fort 
Wayne, Indiana. 

Upon receipt of this news, I telegraphed Foley 
to write a letter himself, enclosing it in the largest 
sized envelope he could get, and direct it to the 
same address E. C. Ledgerwood, Fort Wayne, 
Indiana. 

I then caused to be sent from Chicago, a regis¬ 
tered letter addressed to Mr. Ledger Wood, Fort 
Wayne, Indiana, so as to make sure there could 
be no mistake in letters reaching him under either 
name, and I requested operative Delaney, who was 
stationed at Fort Wayne, to come at once to 
Chicago for instructions. 

About nine o’clock that night, Delaney left Fort 
Wayne, unobserved, and reached my office about 
63 


64 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

midnight. My instructions to the detective related 
to the clews we had discovered at Harrisburg and 
Salt Lake, which led me to the belief that either 
one or both of the robbers were somewhere be¬ 
tween Pittsburgh and Fort Wayne. 

As Bell and Manning had reached Pittsburgh 
that day, and as a registered letter was to reach 
Fort Wayne the next morning addressed to Mr. 
Ledger Wood, I instructed Delaney to return at 
once and in company with operative Harrington, 
who had been watching the Nickle Plate Depot for 
several days, to place themselves at the postoffice 
and watch the delivery window until they saw an 
envelope—an exact sample of which I gave the 
detective—should be called for. 

I then instructed my operative, upon returning 
to Fort Wayne, to first assure himself that there 
was a letter held in that postoffice for Ledger 
Wood or E. C. Ledgerwood, and in order to ac¬ 
complish this, he should approach the delivery 
window and inquire of the postmaster if there was 
a letter there for James L, Wood. 

My reason in cautioning Delaney of this fact was 
for the purpose of guarding against a mistake, to 
shadow the postoffice when perhaps the postmas- 
ter : acting under instructions, had forwarded the 
letters to their owners upon their receipt to some 
distant city or town. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 65 

Delaney left Chicago at three o’clock that morn¬ 
ing, fully alive to the fact that the chase for the 
criminals was narrowing down, and that I would 
not be suprised to hear of their arrests that day. 

Reaching Fort Wayne at six o’clock that morn¬ 
ing, Delaney repaired to the St. James Hotel, 
and found Harrington, who had been up nearly 
all night, awaiting his arrival. Delaney requested 
Harrington to be at the delivery window when the 
office was opened at eight o’clock, and inquire if 
there was a registered letter there for James L. 
Wood. 

As the postoffice in Fort Wayne opened that 
morning, operative Harrington was the first to en¬ 
ter, soon to be followed by Delaney. Upon ap¬ 
proaching the window, Harrington inquired if there 
was a registered letter there for James Ledger 
Wood. 

“Yes, sir—wait until I see,” reaching up, the 
clerk pulled down a number of letters from Box W. 
“There is a registered letter here for Mr. Ledger 
Wood, postmarked Chicago,” answered that 
official. 

Harrington expressed great disappointment to 
the postmaster, and said he believed the letter was 
intended for him, but that a mistake had been 
made by the sender in Chicago. 

Detective J 


66 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“Your best plan then,” said the postmaster, “is 
to write to the sender in Chicago, and inquire if 
your letter has been sent, and if so, to what ad¬ 
dress.” 

My operative thanked the postmaster very pro¬ 
fusely for his kind advice, and before going away, 
asked: “If any one else comes to claim this let¬ 
ter, will you kindly get their full description and 
address.” To which the efficient and polished 
clerk assured him in the affirmative. 

Harrington now left the postoffice, followed by 
Delaney, went back to their room in the hotel; 
after debating the subject between themselves, De¬ 
laney decided he would seek a personal interview 
with the postmaster. 

Returning to the postoffice, Delaney asked to 
see General Gibson, the postmaster, and upon be¬ 
ing shown into the private office of that gentleman, 
informed him that he was an officer of the law, 
laboring in the interest of justice, and asked the 
postmaster if he would be allowed to remain in the 
corridor during the day. 

General Gibson, feeling very kindly toward my 
officers, readily assented, and Delaney took his 
place in a conspicuous part of the lobby where he 
could watch Box W. with operative Harrington 
close within call. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


67 


It was understood between the two operatives 
that no arrests should be made at the postoffice, 
and that if any one called for the letter, they 
should be shadowed to their place of abode. This 
precaution was deemed necessary so as to cause 
no alarm by an accidental arrest of the wrong 
party. 

The two detectives watched the entrance and 
exit of the postoffice all day in a state of feverish 
anxiety, only to be left in suspense when night 
came on. 

About eleven o’clock the second day of their 
watch, a young lady, about twenty-two years of 
age, fashionably attired in a dress of navy blue 
cashmere, called at the window of the post office, 
and inquired if there was any letters for E. C. 
Ledgerwood. 

“There is a registered letter here for Mr. Ledger 
Wood,” and taking the large envelope from Box 
W., he handed it to the young lady for inspection. 

Delaney saw the letter taken from the box and 
approached nearer the window so as to hear the 
conversation which passed between the two with¬ 
out attracting attention. 

The young lady appeared undecided at what 
course to take regarding the letter which contained 
an address so strikingly similar to the one she called 
for. 


68 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“If there can be any doubt about the address on 
this letter, Miss,” remarked the clerk, “Tell the 
gentleman to call for it himself and be identified.” 

The lady nodded her assent without scarcely 
uttering a word and left the office, shadowed by 
Delaney and Harrington. 

Going out into the street, she called in several 
stores as if shopping, after which she boarded an 
electric car and rode nearly ten blocks up Erie 
Avenue, where she alighted. Turning onto Mon¬ 
roe Street, she went about half way down the 
block and entered a stylish cottage, unsuspected of 
being shadowed. 


CHAPTER XI. 


“This is the house we must watch,” said De¬ 
laney, and leaving Harrington at a safe distance to 
shadow every movement of its occupants, hurried 
away to send me a detailed account of their work. 

I immediately gave instructions to hold them¬ 
selves in readiness, as something was likely to take 
place that night which would inform Ledgerwood 
of the registered letter, but under no circumstances 
arouse the young lady’s suspicion, whom I be¬ 
lieved would eventually lead us to his hiding-place. 

The night in question was chilly and dark. My 
operatives had secreted themselves near the cot¬ 
tage, so as to watch every entrance to the house. 
About nine o’clock it was noticed that all the 
lights were extinguished, and the entire premises 
were left in darkness so that the detectives could 
come still nearer. 

Sometime after midnight a person was seen ap¬ 
proaching the house very cautiously. The detect¬ 
ives nearly held their breath with fear lest their 
presence might be observed. It proved to be a 
69 


7o 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


man in a dark ulster, approaching the rear of the 
house from a shed in the vicinity. 

Rapping at a window he ran along the side of 
the house to the door, which was quickly opened 
to him and as quickly locked behind him. 

Delaney went at once to a telephone at a neigh¬ 
boring livery stable, and calling up police head¬ 
quarters, asked for the patrol to be sent up with two 
officers for the purpose of making an important 
arrest. 

In about twenty minutes the patrol arrived, and 
Delaney explained to them their work and what he 
wished to accomplish. 

One of the officers remained with Harrington, 
and the other went with Delaney. Upon reaching 
the front door, the detective rang the bell and re¬ 
ceived an answer, “Who is there?” 

“Officers of the law who demand admission,” 
sternly answered my operative. 

The door was soon opened by Mrs. Shepard, an 
elderly lady, who was greatly alarmed by being 
disturbed at such an unseasonable hour of the 
night. 

Delaney explained to Mrs. Shepard that it was 
as unpleasant for them, but that they must know 
who the man was that had entered her house not 
an hour before. 



Ledgerwood stopped at the point of Harrington’s revolver. 


bulimia Car Detectirta 































































































THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


71 


The lady appeared to be greatly beside herself 
as she had always maintained a high social stand¬ 
ing among her neighbors in the community. 

“We have no complaint against you, Mrs. Shep¬ 
ard, but we have reason to believe that a man by 
the name of Ledger Wood or Ledgerwood, whom 
we have been ordered to arrest, is now secreted 
under your roof.” 

“Why, Edwin Ledgerwood is my nephew; what 
can you want to arrest him for?” 

“For a diamond robbery, that was committed 
some days ago, and in which it is believed he is an 
accomplice.” 

“Oh, there must be some mistake,” answered 
Mrs. Shepard, dazed and trembling with astonish¬ 
ment as she looked at the officers. 

“He will have every chance to prove that, 
madam,” said Delaney, at the same time request¬ 
ing the policeman to produce his dark lantern and 
search the house. 

As the door of the front room was forced open 
by Delaney and the policeman, the man in the ul¬ 
ster, who was seen entering the house but a short 
time before, was endeavoring to make his escape 
through a side entrance, but was stopped at the 
point of Harrington’s revolver, and was taken into 
custody, handcuffed, and brought to the police 


72 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

station within an hour from the time he entered the 
house. 

No one in the city of Fort Wayne was more as¬ 
tounded, shocked and mortified than Mrs. Shepard 
and her estimable daughter. 

For many years Edwin Ledgerwood had been a 
welcome visitor at his aunt’s house, and the hos¬ 
pitality she had accorded him at all times was well 
known in the neighborhood, and when she came 
to realize the fact that he had brought such dis¬ 
grace upon her—led away a manacled felon in the 
dead hour of the night—her grief and humiliation 
were pitiful to behold. 

Upon reaching his cell at police headquarters, 
Delaney charged Ledgerwood with the theft of the 
diamonds from Carlyle Manning, in the palace car 
“Mermaid ’ 7 between Valparaiso and Fort Wayne, 
eight days before. 

Ledgerwood attempted to deny all knowledge of 
the robbery by saying that he was perfectly inno¬ 
cent, whereupon Delaney ordered the officers to 
search him. 

Complying with my operatives request, the two 
officers made a careful and thorough search of the 
prisoner’s clothing, and found diamonds or money 
in nearly every pocket to the extent of about two 
thousand dollars. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


73 


“You first met Carlyle Manning,” continued De¬ 
laney, “at the Nutsford Hotel in Salt Lake City, 
being introduced to him as a nurse by Dr. Scott, 
his attending physician, and while acting in that 
capacity, you became familiar with the valuable 
diamonds which he carried in his valises, and a 
part of which have been found on your person. 

“You then followed Manning to Chicago, and 
registered at the Auditorium as Dr. Dunn, bought 
your ticket at the Auditorium ticket office, oc¬ 
cupied section 8 in the palace car ‘Mermaid,’ en¬ 
tered the car when all the passengrse were asleep 
from the forward part of the train, and when near 
this city, you handed the two valises, which you 
first became acquainted with at the Hotel Nutsford, 
out of the car to your accomplice, Frank Fletcher, 
who joined you soon after you left the ‘Mermaid’ 
at Harrisburg, where you sold one of the most 
valuable diamonds in the collection to the barten¬ 
der of the Keystone Hotel for a paltry- sum.” 

Delaney’s plan was to give Ledgerwood so com¬ 
plete and truthful a narrative of his work in this 
robbery as to leave no possible doubt in the mind 
of the prisoner of the secure and firm hold which 
the network of evidence had woven around him. 

So complete was Delaney’s charge that Ledger- 
wood was literally dumfounded and dismayed; 


74 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


and the haughty contempt and reserve of the now 
confronted thief gave way to looks and actions of 
regret and remorse. 

“As an officer of the law,” said Delaney, “I can 
have no discretion in your case: my duty is laid 
down for me and I must discharge it, but if sym¬ 
pathy is of any service, you may be assured I 
never discharge duty with more reluctance than 
when I place a young man of your years, and 
promise behind prison bars.” 

The culprit raised his dazed and haggard face, 
and looking at Delaney for a moment, said,: “I 
never was in a position in which I realized the 
value of a friend more than now.” 

“I have no doubt of that,” said my operative, 
“as your general appearance resembles a man who 
has sacrificed a bright and inviting future to be led 
astray by some older and more experienced criminal 
who has simply used you as a tool.” 

The detective’s remarks had their effect on 
Ledgerwood, who now saw in its real light the com¬ 
plete folly of his crime, and looking up to Delaney 
he inquired, “What would you advise me to do?” 

“Tell all you know about this matter, make res¬ 
titution of the stolen goods, and throw yourself on 
the mercy of the court, is the only course I see 
laid open for you now.” 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


75 


As Delaney made this remark, he arose from his 
seat, and not wishing a confession from the prisoner 
until he had time to reflect, left the cell, saying he 
would call again in a day or two. 


CHAPTER XII. 


As Ledgerwood sat in his cell the following 
morning after his arrest, his face pale, haggard, and 
shriveled, which showed that wasting thought and 
anxiety had been companions of his vigil, he in¬ 
quired several times of the warden if he could see 
Detective Delaney. 

Upon receiving intelligence of Ledgerwood’s ar¬ 
rest, I instructed Delaney to leave him alone for a 
few days, so as to give him time to reflect on his 
past follies, for as this was probably the first time 
he had occupied a prison cell charged with so 
heinous a crime, he lacked the viciousness of the 
hardened criminal, and to relieve himself of the 
anguish of a burning conscience, might tell us what 
he knew of the whereabouts of his accomplice, 
Frank Fletcher. 

Although fortune had somewhat favored us in 
the capture of Ledgerwood, I was alive to the fact 
that we had a different man to deal with in his ac¬ 
complice. Fletcher had been for many years travel¬ 
ing about the country in the interest of the firms 
he represented. His knowledge of the different 
76 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


77 


railroads, hotels and river lines, prairie towns and 
coach roads, and a hundred and one other avenues 
to escape, about many of which he could easily 
hide without the least fear of being run down by 
the sleuth-hounds of the law, made me extremely 
cautious. 

My object in instructing Delaney, regarding the 
management of his captive, was for the purpose of 
giving him a chance to make a bona fide confes¬ 
sion. For our success in the capture of Fletcher 
might depend to a great extent upon what we 
could learn from Ledgerwood, therefore a confes¬ 
sion in some form must be secured from the pris¬ 
oner in order to set us on the right trail. 

I further instructed my operative wait a rea¬ 
sonable length of time and if he saw no signs of 
Ledgerwood weakening, to approach him with the 
news that Fletcher had been captured, made a con¬ 
fession, and turned states’ evidence and unless he 
came out and gave his version of the robbery, the 
prosecution would use Fletcher as a witness 
against him, and that a long and hopeless term of 
imprisonment would be the reward of his silence. 

When the detective visited Ledgerwood’s cell 
the second day after his arrest, however, he be¬ 
came convinced that our anxiety was unnecessary 
regarding a confession. There was no doubt but 


78 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


what the unfortunate man fully realized the depths 
to which he had fallen. 

“I want to speak to you,’’was the first salutation 
with which he greeted Delaney, as the detective 
was passing his cell. 

“That is a luxury you are always entitled to 
while in my care,” replied the smiling detective. 

“I want to tell you all I know about this affair 
for which you hold me as a prisoner.” 

“Well, I have advised you that was the right 
thing to do,” said my operative, “as this man 
Fletcher, who led you into this, may be taken into 
custody any moment, and if he makes the first con¬ 
fession, it will be for the purpose of saving himself 
at your expense.” 

Ledgerwood began by telling Delany that for 
a number of years he had followed the profession 
of a nurse, and while employed as such, had on 
many occasions large sums of money and valu¬ 
ables of his patients entrusted to his keeping. 

It was while relating this fact one evening to 
some friends in the Hotel Templeton, Salt Lake, 
that he became acquainted with a drummer for a 
Chicago house, named Frank Fletcher. 

“Fletcher and I soon became intimately ac¬ 
quainted and fast friends, and on several occasions, 
when visiting that city,” continued the prisoner, 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


79 


“Fletcher made it a point to look me up, and we 
would spend the night together, drinking, gambling 
and carousing. He always appeared to be flush 
with money, and this Hun’ as he called it, never 
cost me a cent. 

“One night, after becoming electrified from ex¬ 
cessive drinking, Fletcher told me that he had just 
rode from Portland, Oregon, over the Union Paci- 
fiic, in a Pullman Palace Car, with Tiffany’s dia¬ 
mond salesman, Carlyle Manning, whose two cases 
of samples were estimated to be worth five thou- 
and dollars, and which be could easily have stolen 
during the trip while the passengers were asleep in 
their berths. 

“Fletcher kept continually blaming himself for 
not running a little risk when there was so much 
to be gained. I sympathized with him, and he 
then told me he would never loose such a chance 
again. 

“The next day Dr. Scott sent for me to nurse 
a patient at the Nutsford Hotel, whom I soon 
learned was the diamond salesman that I had 
heard so much about the night before. 

“Upon seeing Fletcher the following evening, I 
told him that Manning was sick at the Nutsford, 
and that I was his nurse. 

“Fletcher said this was the chance of a lifetime, 


8o 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


and that he would take a room in the hotel on the 
same floor where Manning was sick, and sometime 
while my patient was asleep, to let him into the 
room under the guise of a caller, and he would do 
the rest. 

“On the following morning, however, much to 
our disappointment, Manning had the two valises 
taken down stairs to the office and locked in the 
safe, when I came to the conclusion that the 
game was at an end. 

“Fletcher contended that this was no proof that 
Manning had become suspicious, as all hotels 
take charge of their guests’ valuables when con¬ 
fined to their rooms with sickness.” 

Fletcher spent the week during Manning’s sick¬ 
ness in visiting suburban towns in the interest of 
his Chicago firm, and would return to Salt Lake 
each night to talk with Ledgerwood regarding 
their future plans, and it was not until the night 
before Manning’s departure from the Nutsford that 
Ledgerwood finally decided, in company with 
Fletcher, to follow Manning to Chicago. 

“We would have committed the robbery before 
reaching Chicago, only the Pullman conductor, 
for some unknown reason, would not give us ac¬ 
commodation in the same car with Manning, and 
we were obliged to sleep in different cars. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


8 l 


“Upon reaching Chicago, we determined that if 
the job was to be done, it would have to be 
planned from that city, or else it would be a fail¬ 
ure, as Manning’s next stop would be New York, 
and would spend but one night on the road. 

“It was therefore determined that I should put 
up at the Auditorium at which house Manning se¬ 
cured accommodations by wire before leaving the 
Nutsford, and as I was familiar with all his corre¬ 
spondents, and knowing his future movements, 
was considered the best man to shadow him. 

“Knowing that Manning was to leave the Audi¬ 
torium that night for New York, I kept close 
watch of the Pullman diagram in the ticket office 
in that hotel and saw that he was to occupy sec¬ 
tion 7 in the palace car “Mermaid,” I at once 
secured section 8 directly opposite to him in the 
same car to Harrisburg, and occupied that sec¬ 
tion to the end of the journey. 

“Fletcher and I rode in the passenger car until 
about eleven o’clock when we both apparently 
left the train, but I went into the sleeping car, and 
he rode on the rear platform. I removed my 
clothing and went to bed as usual, but did not 
sleep. About an hour before reaching Fort 
Wayne, and while the train was stopped, I 
raised the window of my berth, and passed out 

Detective 6 


82 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


Manning’s two valises to Fletcher. All was 
done in less time than it takes to relate it. 

“Fletcher reached Harrisburg, by another road 
a few hours later, where we divided the valuables 
and parted company so as not to attract suspicion, 
and we haven’t seen each other since.” 

Regarding the selling of the diamond to the bar¬ 
tender at the Keystone Hotel in Harrisburg, 
Ledgerwood said he knew nothing, and it must 
have been done by Fletcher while under the in¬ 
fluence of liquor. 


I 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Ledgerwood said after dividing their booty the 
day after the robbery, he and his companion 
parted in Harrisburg, and had not seen each other 
since. Although we felt we had accomplished 
something through the confession of Ledgerwood, 
yet our prime motive in securing that much sought 
for information had not succeeded, and Fletcher’s 
whereabouts was as great a mystery as ever. 

The day after the capture of Ledgerwood by my 
operatives at Fort Wayne, Manning, in answer to 
my telegram, came on from Pittsburgh, and iden¬ 
tified two thousand dollars worth of his stolen prop¬ 
erty, which we had taken from the person of the 
prisoner upon his capture. 

Bell still remained in Pittsburgh, following up 
what sometimes appeared to be a clew, and after¬ 
wards would turn out to be no clew at all. Dillo- 
way was still keeping watch at Keokuk, and the 
neighboring farmhouse of Uncle John Fletcher. 

Upon the arrest of Ledgerwood, I sent urgent 
instructions to each of my operatives that we must 
83 


84 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

in some way get a clew upon which we could hinge 
our pursuit of Fletcher. 

These urgent instructions induced Mr. Dilloway 
to redouble his efforts, and so he determined to 
have another conversation with “Uncle John” or his 
family, and not caring to make a second visit to 
the farm until he had become better acquainted, 
he decided to loiter in the vicinity of the postoffice 
where all farmers are like to come while in the 
city. 

He did not have to wait long, however, before 
Fletcher’s mother and sister was seen calling for 
their mail at the postoffice. As the two ladies 
came out into the street Dilloway came along as if 
passing by, and with an unaffected open frankness 
inquired: “When could I have the pleasure of 
meeting your son, Mr. Frank Fletcher?” 

“I’m afraid not for some time,” answered Mrs. 
Fletcher, “as he left about a week ago, intending 
to settle somewhere in the far west, just where he 
had not fully decided.” 

“Well, I’m going west myself,” replied Dilloway, 
“and I’m sorry that I didn’t know it, so we could 
have gone together ; how pleasant it would have 
been for us both.” 

My operative evinced great concern and interest 
in the westward movements of this flying prodigal, 



Searching the Loan Offices. 


Pullman Car Detective. 




























































THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


&5 


and regretted very much that he had not been able 
to see him, as he thought likely he could have 
placed him in a position of honor and trust that 
would not have required him to have left home and 
kindred, to seek his fortune in a new country. 

“Perhaps I could induce him to return if you 
would give me his address,” remarked Dilloway in 
a mood of great solicitude. 

“Well, the letter that we received from him a 
few days ago was written from Omaha, and he 
then contemplated leaving in a day or two, I think, 
for Denver.” 

While Dilloway was receiving valuable informa¬ 
tion from Fletcher’s relatives in Keokuk, detective 
Bell had also made great efforts in his work at 
Pittsburgh, and had so far succeeded as to locate 
over 'a thousand dollars worth of the stolen jewelry 
in different loan offices in that city, to each of 
which I caused an injunction to be filed restraining 
the holders from selling or disposing of the stolen 
property, until I should succeed in bringing the cul¬ 
prit to justice. 

After these receivers of stolen goods saw the 
strong arm of the law raised against them, they be¬ 
gan to loosen their tongues and talk, and it was 
from this prompt move which I determined to make 
after I had come to the conclusion that Fletcher 


86 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


was in their employ that I received the valuable in¬ 
formation that I so much sought. 

I instructed my operative Bell, in company with 
Manning and the sheriff, to go to the loan offices 
where these goods were held and after they had 
been identified by Mr. Manning, and the sheriff had 
taken them into his possession, for there and then 
to flatly and bluntly accuse the proprietor of the 
office that he was one of a gang of thieves and that 
Fletcher was only one of the dupes which he had 
in his employ. 

The scheme worked well as the first man whom 
Bell tackled was a little, diminutive, blear-eyed 
Jew, who was already trembling with fear that the 
money he had paid Fletcher was lost, and a term 
of imprisonment was staring him in the face. 

“Now, Strauss,’’ said Mr. Bell, “you must tell 
how you came by these goods if you want to save 
yourself from further trouble.” 

Strauss persisted that he came by them honestly, 
and “dot he hat not itea,” as he expressed it, “dot 
dey vere stholen goots.” 

“Well,” said Mr. Bell, “they are, and if you do 
not give a satisfactory explanation how you came 
by them, you will be arrested as the thief.” 

“Mine gott, I vas no tief. Veil, I vill told you 
all I know aboud id.” 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 87 

“That is all we want,” said my operative. 

“Boud dwo veeks ago a man come to my sthoie 
und said, ‘Meesther Strauss, I hef sora cheweiry 
und I vand do sell id; how much viil you gif me 
for de lod?’” 

“What kind of looking man was he?” asked the 
sheriff. 

“Oh, metium size man, blain face, veil tressed. 
I told him I vould gif him dwo hundred tollar for 
de lod, und he said, ‘Py gracious, lean nod gif id 
do you for dot, ’ so den I offered him dree hundred 
tollar, und he dook id. He dold me he vas going 
oud vesd und he vould go do Denfer.” 

The wholesome fright which Bell gave Strauss, 
was the cause of securing for us the valuable infor¬ 
mation we were in search of. I was determined we 
should not loose track of this Hebrew money lend¬ 
er, and so instructed the chief of police of Pitts¬ 
burgh, to keep a close watch on his whereabouts, 
until I should find out whether he was placing us 
on the right track or not. In case w r e should get 
no further information regarding Fletcher, I was 
determined to arrest Strauss, as an accessory to 
the robbery. 

It was a good clew and we were determined to 
make the most of it, although I believe, had we 
been called to show our hand, the result would not 


88 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


have been favorable to us. But prompt action on 
our part was sure to develop something, one way 
or the other, so I kept the telegraph wires con¬ 
stantly at work communicating with the authorities 
of the different cities, until 1 had woven a net¬ 
work of detection in all the principal towns of any 
size for thousands of miles in circumference. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


The information which we received from the 
Pittsburgh loan offices was of great value to our 
future success, and I instructed Bell to proceed at 
once to Omaha, and make a thorough search of 
that city. 

Upon the detective’s arrival at Omaha, he fol¬ 
lowed the same line of investigation which he had 
so successfully prosecuted in Pittsburgh. The 
first loan office he visited was on Western Avenue, 
and to its proprietor my operative represented him¬ 
self as a jewelry broker, and although he dealt in 
all styles of jewelry, he much preferred that man¬ 
ufactured by Tiffany & Co. of New York. 

The proprietor of the office showed Bell three 
pieces of fine jewelry which he had taken as a 
pledge from a man about a week before, just pre¬ 
vious to his departure for Denver. 

Not mistrusting that the broker was a detective, 
he gave him the full description of the man which 
was the same as was given in Pittsburgh. In¬ 
stead of using his own name he had now assumed 
89 


go 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


that of A. J. Ratcliffe, which name was registered 
as the owner of the pledged diamonds. 

According to the municipal laws of the city of 
Omaha, all goods left in pledge must be held for 
three months before they can be sold. I therefore 
decided not to file an injunction against the sale of 
these goods until we had made further progress in 
our pursuit, for fear of arousing suspicion. 

After Bell had visited two other loan offices in 
that city, and finding some of the stolen property 
being held for money loaned, I had Mr. Manning 
go to Omaha and identify about a thousand dol¬ 
lars worth of his diamonds. 

As near as my operative could learn, Fletcher 
had left on the Union Pacific for Denver, about 
a week before, and I wired Bell to supply himself 
with all the descriptions of Fletcher available, and 
depart for that city at once. I also despatched to 
my operative Ed. Foley, in Salt Lake City, a full 
description of the fleeing fugitive, and instructed 
him to shadow the depots of the Union Pacific, 
and Rio Grande Western, upon the arrival and 
departure of all trains. 

Arriving at Denver, Bell instituted a thorough 
search the same as he made in the two former 
cities, but found no traces of the fugitive, and as 
I came to the conclusion that he had disposed of 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


91 


all his jewelry, I requested my operative to pro¬ 
ceed to Colorado Springs, and continue his search. 

I realized the fact that had Fletcher passed 
Denver, our pursuit of him would necessarily be¬ 
come more slow and unsatisfactory as he had no 
doubt reached some of the mountain towns which 
are overrun more or less with a desperate class of 
criminals which use these mountains for a hiding 
place. 

After spending several days in the vicinity of 
Manitou, Colorado Springs and Pike’s Peak, the 
detective was about to turn back in despair, be¬ 
lieving that Fletcher had not come so far west, 
when he met a man from Pueblo, who told him 
that he saw a man bearing the description of 
Fletcher, trying to sell several costly diamonds in 
the bar-room of the Southern Hotel in that city 
about a week before. 

Bell felt greatly relieved at this information and 
at once departed for Pueblo and registered as a 
guest at the Southern Hotel. 

Mr. Prouty, the gentlemanly proprietor of this 
house, offered my operative every encouragement; 
told him that he remembered the man well, and 
directed him to a jewelry store in that city, owned 
by one Levi Moses, where Fletcher had succeeded 
in selling another of the diamonds. 


92 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


But from the day of the sale, no further trace 
of the fleeing burglar could be found, and the trail 
seemed to be hopelessly lost, as it was very prob¬ 
able he had taken to the mountains. 

No thought of failure, however, was now to be 
entertained by the brave officer, and after satisfy¬ 
ing himself that the man he was looking for was 
not in that city, he left for Florence, an oil and gas 
town, some miles further west, where he spent the 
day in a fruitless search, and then started for 
Canon City, only to leave there at the close of an¬ 
other day, chagrined and disappointed but not dis¬ 
heartened. 

Passing through the great Colorado Canon, with 
its mountains of granite towering thousands of feet 
above his head, our operative landed in Salida, a 
railroad town of some attraction and enterprise 
and surrounded by one of the richest mineral belts 
in that state. Here Bell spent two days and one 
night, visiting all the saloons, hotels and boarding¬ 
houses, and was about to depart on the second 
night when, upon visiting the postoffice to see if 
any mail had been forwarded to him, he chanced 
to inquire if there were any letters there for Frank 
Fletcher. 

The postmaster informed him that Mr. Fletcher 
had called for his own mail a few days before. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


93 


The description given at the postoffice was so 
complete that my operative saw he was again on 
the trail of the fleeing burglar. As the postmaster 
had no reason to suspect Fletcher, he made no in¬ 
quiries regarding his departure, and the detective 
had to be content with the meager information he 
had received. 

There was no train leaving Salida that night, 
and so Bell was obliged to wait until the follow¬ 
ing morning, when he left on the ten o’clock train 
for Del Norte, and from there proceeded to Wagon 
Wheel Gap. In reaching this place he was 
obliged to pass through the great San Luis Valley, 
which possesses many thousand acres of rich 
prairie lands, where such a criminal as Fletcher 
could easily have secreted himself for a lifetime. 

At Wagon Wheel Gap the detective mingled 
with the guests at the different hotels, who visit 
this resort in search of health, but no trace of 
Fletcher could be found, and on the following day 
he reurned to Del Norte, and from that place went 
to the new mining camp of Creede. 

At Creede the detective was entirely at sea. It 
was a town that had been built in a few months 
and was one of those wild, reckless camps, which 
all mining fields breed; made up mostly of the out¬ 
law, the gambler, and the harlot. He found many 



94 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


sleeping in canvas tents, in hovels and board shan¬ 
ties, whose name and identity was lost amid flocks 
of fortune-hunters, who were coming and going 
every day. 

Here in the wild canon between two stupen¬ 
dous mountains came the prospector from Dead- 
wood, the disappointed claim hunter from Lead- 
ville, the bankrupt millionaire from Virginia City, 
the ambitious politician from Denver, and the 
humble physician from Salt Lake, seeking new 
fields in which they could start anew and retrieve 
their lost fortunes. Here, too, had come the 
gambler, the burglar and the cutthroat, and through 
all this motley herd of the fallen elements of hu¬ 
manity swayed the one passion and greed for gold 
which made friends of some and enemies of others. 

To this class—their greed and passions—does 
Colorado, as do many other States owe the great¬ 
ness which they enjoy to-day; which broke down 
barriers, crossed the prairies, and scaled the mount¬ 
ains to establish commonwealths and build new 
cities* 


CHAPTER XV. 


Creede was situated in the defile between two 
inaccessible columns of the Rocky Mountains, 
whose towering peaks reached the regions of eter¬ 
nal snows, their sides covered with pines and 
cedars, the beginning of whose growth date back 
to by-gone ages. There were sparkling cascades 
that dashed from lofty and romantic cliffs into 
bubbling rivulets and placid streams, which served 
as the outlet of this Alpine-like group. 

The horizon fairly teems with cliffs and bluffs, 

in this weird land, 

Like the indistinct golden and vaporous fleece 
Which surrounded and hid the celestials in Greece— 

These mountains become strange creatures of 
the imagination. Anything that francy painted 
them, that they were. Old mediaeval ruins, cities 
gone to decay, castles and watch-towers tumbled 
into picturesque confusion, walled tovvns along 
the border, remnants of conflagration most dis¬ 
astrous—each and all they could be in turn, and in 
each natural. 

Thicker and more complex they became, and 
95 


g6 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


from them, spires, domes and turrets, point heaven¬ 
ward. In the far distance, wrapped about in a 
mysterious veil of haze—that soft, beautiful, un¬ 
real, yet strangely real thing, called Western land¬ 
scape appears. To the north the jagged crests 
break upon the vision, like floating Islands in an 
azure sea, gradually revealing themselves an im¬ 
posing group of pointed mountains or crowned with 
massive pallisades. 

In all directions and at every side could be seen 
the prospector searching for the hidden treasures 
for which he had come, foot-sore and weary, per¬ 
haps more than a thousand miles, and for which no 
privation was too great, if there was only a pros¬ 
pect of success crowning his efforts. 

The physician left the sick bed of his patient, 
the lawyer his anxious client, and the minister his 
pulpit, that they might join in the anxious search, 
or use their influence in organizing large companies 
with a capital stock, that run into the hundreds of 
thousands, entirely on paper, with not a cent in 
the treasury. 

Bell looked on at this wild, break-neck scramble 
with despair of his own success. He attempted to 
inquire, but inquiry was useless. 'This bringing 
together of strangers from distant fields made ac¬ 
quaintance a lost art. He had not heard of 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


97 


Fletcher since leaving Salida, and determining that 
it was useless to continue his search among this 
Babel of strangers, was about to retrace his steps 
to the former city, when, coming to the bridge that 
separates Creede from Jimtown, he stopped at a 
gaming table by the road-side, where he saw a 
valuable diamond put up as a stake against fifty 
dollars in gold. 

The detective’s curiosity was at once aroused, 
and he began to scrutinize the assembled audience, 
but could see no one that would answer to Fletch¬ 
er’s description. He waited patiently until the 
end of the game so as to see who was the winner 
and loser. The man who placed the diamond on 
the table was a hardy mountaineer. At the end 
of the game, Bell approached the burly cliff 
dweller, and inquired if he knew where any more 
such diamonds were for sale. 

He said he had won that one that morning at a 
joint kept by Bob Ford, where it was sold by a 
stranger, two days before. To further inquiries 
he replied that the stranger had left for Aspen, the 
night following the sale of the diamond. 

Ford was the bandit to whom the governor of 
Missouri had paid ten thousand dollars for slaying 
the notorious Jesse James. This information the 
detective listened to with peril, as he knew the des- 

Detective 7 


g8 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

perate character of this scourge of the mountains. 

Bell could get no further description of the man 
who sold the diamond, and upon going to Ford’s 
gambling den, the detective saw tables constructed 
of the roughest material, upon which many kinds 
of games was being carried on. There were also 
some tables at the rear of the hall, on which bank¬ 
rupt gamblers were lying asleep, without money 
enough left to pay for a bed. Making the ac¬ 
quaintance of a young half-breed, that was acting 
in the capacity of a porter in this notorious dive, 
my operative inquired of him if he knew where he 
could buy some diamonds. 

The half-breed told Bell that if he had been there 
three days before he could have seen a man with 
some of the finest diamonds he ever saw, offering 
them at very low prices. 

The description furnished to Bell by the porter, 
corresponded exactly with those of Fletcher, so 
the detective felt sure that he had again dropped 
on the trail of the man who was so dexterously 
eluding his grasp. 

“I am on my way to Aspen,” said the wily de¬ 
tective, “do you think there would be any chance 
of meeting him on my trip?” 

“Oh, yes,” said the porter, “that’s just where 
he’s gone,” 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


99 


No more welcome news could have come to the 
detective, who was heart-sick of Creede, and wel¬ 
comed the opportunity to get out of it. Leaving 
on the one o’clock train that afternoon my oper¬ 
ative again returned to Salida, and upon inquiring 
at the postoffice, found that Fletcher had called 
there the morning that Bell left for Del Nort, and 
it was barely possible that the two men had seen 
each other on the depot platform when one was go¬ 
ing south and the other west. 

Bell at once left for Glenwood Springs, where 
he arrived late that night, and registered at the 
Maxwell House, to remain until two o’clock the 
next afternoon before he could get a train for 
Aspen. 

During my operative’s stay at Glenwood 
Springs, he found it a mountain hamlet, of a thou¬ 
sand inhabitants, many of whom had come there 
invalids and regained their health by the hot Sul¬ 
phur Springs, which form a boiling whirlpool at 
the foot of the mountains. They had made their 
homes there, never wishing to depart from that 
life-giving fountain. 

No traces of Fletcher, however, could be found at 
the Springs, and at four o’clock hat afternoon the 
detective reached Aspen, the finest and wealthiest 
mining camp in the Rocky Mountains. It is a city 


100 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


built on the foot-hills of the Smuggler Group, from 
whose interior twelve million dollars worth of sil¬ 
ver is found annually, and which has been the 
cause of increasing the wealth of Colorado, in all 
directions. Here is located the great Mollie Gib¬ 
son and many other mines of lesser or equal wealth. 
Here also is the Mineral Palace, into which has 
been gathered many thousand dollars worth of 
specimens, that attracts the eye of the tourist, 
who becomes interested in this great wealth-pro¬ 
ducing country. 

At Aspen Bell registered at the Windsor Hotel, 
where he found a large number of miners stopping, 
all of whom seemed to be of the better class— 
thrifty, intelligent and sociable. The detective was 
sure that he could not be far behind the fleeing 
fugitive, who was unaware that he was being pur¬ 
sued, therefore my operative became more cau¬ 
tious, and, inquiring at the Hotel Jerome, if a dia¬ 
mond salesman was stopping there, was informed 
that a Mr. Ratcliffe had just settled his account 
and had left the previous day for Grand Junc¬ 
tion. 

From the descriptions which Bell received, he 
was convinced that Mr. Ratcliffe was none other 
than Frank Fletcher. And boarding the Denver 
and Rio Grande train, left at once for Grand June- 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


101 


tion, where he arrived in time the following morn¬ 
ing for a sumptuous breakfast at the railroad eating 
house at that place. 


CHAPTER XVI 

The best men are not those who have waited 
for chances, but those who have taken them—be¬ 
sieged the chance, conquered the chance, and 
made chance their servitor. My operative had not 
waited, but had pushed on, sometimes in the dark, 
at other times injudiciously perhaps, but at all 
times with a firm determination, that the robber 
of the Pullman palace car “Mermaid” would sooner 
or later be run down and tracked to his lair. 

Upon Bell’s arrival at Grand Junction, I wired 
him to use great caution and consult with the 
sheriff, John Knowles, of San Wan County, who 
was a personal friend of mine, to be ready at a 
moment’s notice, as the chase must soon come to 
an end. I also instructed my operative, Foley, at 
Salt Lake, that should Fletcher reach that city be¬ 
fore he was arrested, to simply shadow him and 
wait for the arrival of Bell, before attempting to 
take him into custody. 

Inquiry at Grand Junction, showed that a man 
answering the description of Fletcher, had been in 
that place but a day before, and upon looking over 
102 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


103 


the hotel register, my operative found the same 
signature of Ratcliffe, which he saw on the regis¬ 
ters of the other hotels along the route. The de- 
criptions furnished by the clerk were the same as 
that furnished by the clerk at the Hotel Jerome 
at Aspen, 

The only thing which now baffled my operative 
was the fact that Fletcher had disappeared from 
Grand Junction the night before, but in what kind 
of conveyance or in what direction he could not 
learn. The agent did not remember having sold 
a ticket to any person answering Fletcher’s de¬ 
scription, but said that he might have got on the 
train and paid cash to the conductor, which was 
not an uncommon occurrence. 

Bell returned again to the hotel and ventured 
to inquire further of the clerk if Mr. Ratcliffe had 
intimated what day he would be in Provo or Salt 
Lake. The clerk replied that in the course of a 
friendly conversation with his guest, the day be¬ 
fore, he had inquired the size and character of the 
two above named cities, and asked his opinion of 
which would offer the best advantage to start in 
business. The clerk saying he much preferred 
Salt Lake, if it was not already over-done, to 
which Mr. Ratcliffe replied, that if he should find 
such to be the case he would continue his trip west¬ 
ward. 


104 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

On receiving this information, Bell went directly 
to the telegraph office and sent operative Foley at 
Salt Lake the following despatch: — 

“Package left here last night. May reach Salt 
Lake on first train. Watch for it, 

“Bell.” 

Within an hour the following answer was re¬ 
ceived by Bell: — 

“Package not yet arrived. Am watching for it 
on every train, 

“Foley.” 

Bell bought a ticket from Grand Junction to 
Ogden, so it might appear that he was leaving 
that part of the country, but intended stopping off 
at a number of places along the road. Cisco, about 
twenty miles further west, was his first stop, but 
finding nothing there, after several hour’s search, 
continued his journey to Green River, and on the 
following morning went to Pleasant Valley Junc¬ 
tion. 

What a journey over mountains, gentle slopes 
and dark canons, all combining to give such a va¬ 
riety to the route, that days of travel did not pro¬ 
duce weariness. But how different the country 
beyond; a sterile and vast expanse, covered with 
waving lines of sand, in which the rivulets are lost 
as they descend from the bare ridges around. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 105 

But the great American desert has a limit, and 
leaving it the train entered a region where the mo¬ 
notony was occasionally varied by large herds of 
grazing cattle and sheep. The shepperd in the 
Highlands of Scotland, the peasant in the sunny 
fields of France, the dweller on the banks of the 
Nile, are as deeply interested, practically in the re¬ 
ports from this great land as are we of our own 
country. Beyond this they came upon fertile roll¬ 
ing prairies, watered by large streams, skirted by 
heavy timber, - with here and there a range of bluffs 
whose gray tops were capped with stone arranged 
in regular layers, as if disposed by the hand of 
man. 

“What a beautiful scene, ,, thought Bell, “every¬ 
thing appears so peaceful. It seems as if the rude 
passions and conflicting interests of mankind might 
never disturb its harmony.” 

To the east he could see through the clear atmos¬ 
phere miles and miles of rolling prairie, the zigzag 
lines of timber marking the courses of the streams 
with waving lines of green. 

Beyond and spreading out, far as the eye could 
reach, lay a fertile and broad expanse, the small 
timber patches visible here and there resembling 
the orchards of an old settled country. 

Westward lay a beautiful valley, beyond that a 


io6 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


high hill, and to the north a varied scene, hill and 
dale, prairie, woodland, ravine and gently flowing 
river, intensified and beautified by the rays of the 
rising sun. 

The road by which he had come led him through 
a country so varied in its grand and imposing 
beauty, towering rocks, and fertile valleys, wind¬ 
ing streams and gentle elevations, that for a time 
fatigue was forgotten in the enjoyment of the 
scenes about him, and it was not until the journey 
had been completed that he realized how utterly 
tired out he was. Being of a strong and healthy 
constitution, however, and upheld by an ambition 
to succeed in the work he had undertaken, my 
faithful operative never flagged in his persistent 
search after the missing Fletcher. 

On reaching Pleasant Valley, he ascertained that 
a man answering Fletcher’s description had put up 
at the Valley House, but had not registered his 
name. He had left about ten hours before, for a 
town called Coal Mine, about twenty miles from 
the Junction. 

Thus far, from all that could be learned of Flet¬ 
cher’s movements, the young man was traveling 
entirely alone. From point to point across the 
western continent Bell had traced him, and no 
tidings of a companion had been as yet received. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


107 


Alone and friendless, cut off from the associations 
of his past life, this unfortunate man was trying to 
escape from a fate which he felt must be impend¬ 
ing. Through the long summer days and under 
the starry skies during the weary nights, this out¬ 
cast was working his way to fancied freedom and 
security. I wonder whether the accuser’s voice 
was not sounding in his ears, during the long 
watches of the night, when he sought the needed 
slumber, which his weary brain and body de¬ 
manded, or if he started with affright at fancied 
dangers, and find, this lonely life a burden, heavy 
and sorrowful. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


After obtaining much valuable information with 
reference to the various localities of the city from 
the landlord of the hotel, Bell sauntered forth 
upon his quest. Diligently and with untiring 
energy he prosecuted his inquiries, meeting only 
with disappointments and rebuffs; during the en¬ 
tire day he labored assiduously, visiting brothels, 
saloons and hotels beyond number, and as yet had 
not discovered a trace of Fletcher. Could it be 
that the information which he had received was 
designedly given to throw him off the trail, and 
that the half-breed meant to play him false, when 
he told him that his man had gone to Aspen. 

These thoughts flew through the brain of the de¬ 
tective, when after all his efforts, he found him¬ 
self baffled at all points. In despair at last he 
sought the aid of the authorities, and was received 
with a cordiality that was unmistakable, and with 
proffered assistance that promsied to be valuable 
in the extreme. A trusted, true and worthy 
officer and a man of considerable experience, one 

who was the very ideal of a discreet and intelli- 
108 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


109 


gent official, was delegated to accompany him dur¬ 
ing the evening. For a long time these two men 
devoted their combined energies to the task before 
them; but as had been the case with Bell during 
the day, no success attended their efforts. 

Finally the officer turned to Bell and said:- 

“There is just one place more, that we can 
possibly hope to hear anything of this man, and I 
have deferred it to the last, because I am almost 
certain that we will learn nothing of him even 
there.” 

“Well, let us go,” said the detective. “I am 
determined that no possible point shall be lost, 
and we may only be disappointed again; but let 
us try.” 

“Come along, then,” replied the officer, “but you 
may have occasion to use your revolver, so put it 
where you can find it.” 

“Where are we going? ”asked Bell. 

“To Bill Dunphy’s ranch,” answered the officer, 
“the hardest dive you ever saw.” 

“All right,” said Bell, “let us go. I have no 
fear for myself, and perhaps this is the turning 
point in our search.” 

So they started off, and after about twenty 
minutes walk, found themselves in the extreme 
western part of the camp, and in a locality that 


no 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


presented anything but an agreeable appearance. 

Although but a short distance from the main 
thoroughfare, everything seemed to be of the most 
wretched character, the pepple who were congre¬ 
gated about the doorways were villainous-look¬ 
ing men, and hard-visaged brazen-faced women. 
Lights shone from many windows, and from within 
came the sounds of laughter and ribald song. 
They were evidently in a section where vice and 
immorality held full control. 

Bell’s companion seemed to be well known and 
universally feared in this neighborhood, for they 
passed through it without molestation and soon 
reached a long-rambling, frame building, which 
was gayly painted and brightly illuminated. 

Men and women of all ages, were entering and 
leaving, the place, and crowds were gathered about 
the eotrance. The clinking of glasses and the 
loud orders of the waiters could be heard, but 
above all the sounds of music, and a general con¬ 
fusion of voices that told that there was a large 
assembty present. 

The detective had often heard of the character 
of a dance-house in the far west, and now was his 
opportunity to view one in full blast. Elbowing 
their way through the crowd, Bell and his com¬ 
panion found themselves in a large, brilliantly 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


III 


lighted room' almost entirely devoid of furniture. 
At one end was the orchestra, which consisted of 
a piano, that was sadly out of tune, and two un- 
melodious violins. The tune, if tune it might be 
callled, went over and over and over again, with 
the monotonous persistency of a sawmill, dom¬ 
inating the rhythmic tread of the dancers. Around 
the sides of the room were ranged rows of tables 
and wooden chairs, occupied by men and wo¬ 
men, all of whom were busily engaged in dispos¬ 
ing of the maddening liquids, that were dispensed 
by the so-called pretty waiter girls, who long since 
had become strangers to all forms of morality. 
The floor was filled with a motley gathering of 
both sexes, who were whirling about the room 
with the greatest abandonment, dancing madly to 
the discordant strains of the music. It was a per¬ 
fect pandemonium, while boisterous laughter and 
loud curses, mingled with the excitement and con¬ 
fusion. Both the men and women were drinking 
freely, and some of them were in a wild state of 
intoxication, while others had long since passed the 
state of excitement and were now dozing stupidly 
in the corners of the room. 

Bell and his companion stood for some time 
gazing at the scenes around them. The detect¬ 
ive’s mind was busy with meditation upon the 


112 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


human degradation that was here presented. 
Here were women, many of them still retaining 
marks of former beauty, in spite of their life of 
dissipation. Their eyes flashing under the influ¬ 
ence of liquor, and from their pretty lips issuing 
forth curses and blasphemies which would make 
an ordinary person shudder. Old women, shrewd 
and devilish, who could shoot or cut if the occa¬ 
sion required, with the nicety and effect of a man. 
Rough men with their flannel shirts and their 
trousers tucked down in their boots. Young men 
from the city, well-dressed and apparently respect¬ 
able, yet all yielding to their passions for strong 
drink and the charms of ribaldry and indecency. 
A wild gathering of all grades and conditions, 
mingled in this disgraceful orgie. What stories 
could be told of happy homes, wrecked and broken 
by these painted lizards who were now swimming 
in the whirl-pool of licentious gratification; many 
men whose past careers of honor and reputation 
had been thrown away, were gathered here in this 
brothel, taking part in so-called amusements, 
which a few years ago would have appalled them. 
Human nature is a study and debased humanity is 
the strangest of all. 

“Well, what do you think of this?” asked the 
officer. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 113 

“I scarcely know what to think,” said Bell. “I 
have seen much of social life, but this beats all I 
ever saw or ever before experienced.” 

“Oh, this is nothing, you should be here some¬ 
time when there is a fight going on, and then 
you would think that hell was a reality and these 
people incarnate devils.” 

While they were conversing, the proprietor of 
the establishment, Bill Dunphy, approached them, 
and respectfully saluting the officer, whom he 
knew, said smilingly: 

“Seeing the sights of the city, are you, gov¬ 
ernor?” 

“Well, yes, Bill, we are looking for a young 
man, and we thought perhaps that if he had been 
around here, you could give us some information 
about him.” 

“Certainly,” answered Bill, “if I can do any¬ 
thing for you, I am willing to do it.” 

Dunphy was a tall, broad shouldered man, with 
black curly hair, flashing black eyes, and a black 
drooping moustache. He stood in a slouching atti¬ 
tude, and as he spoke, his fingers played idly with 
the red silk lacings of his brown flannel shirt. To 
an imaginative looker on, those idly toying fingers, 
had a definable air, of being very much at home 
with the trigger of the six-shooter in his belt. 

Detective 


“4 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“Come into the other room,” contiuned Dunphy, 
“where we can talk, there is too much noise 
here.” 

The three men entered a room on the opposite 
side of the house which appeared to be occupied 
by a better portion of the habitues of the place. 
Leading the way to a table, in a retired corner of 
the room, the proprietor requested them to be 
seated. Bell called for one of the waiter girls to 
provide them with something to drink. 

The officer now produced a photograph of 
Fletcher, and showing it to Dunphy, asked him if 
he ever saw that man. 

Dunphy looked at the picture for a few mo¬ 
ments and then answered: “Of course I have seen 
him. He was here two or three days ago, and had 
plenty of money, and some very precious jewels.” 

Bell’s heart leaped with joy, as he heard the 
words, and he realized that he was again on the 
right track. 

“How long did he stay here?” asked the officer. 

“Let me see,” said Dunphy, meditatively, “he 
was here, I think, a day and a night.” 

“Do you know which way he went?” now in¬ 
quired Bell. 

“No; but I have some one here that I guess can 
tell you more about him.” 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 115 

Walking to the door he disappeared, and after 
a few moments absence, returned with a young 
woman about twenty years of age, and who ap¬ 
peared to be far superior to the other females that 
Bell had seen on his entrance to the bagnio. 

She was a rather dressy young person, with a 
rose leaf complexion and a simpering mouth. 
Rose leaf complexions are rare on the sundrenched, 
wihd-swept prairies, and the more effective for 
that. The possessor of this one, fully aware of 
her advantage, was displaying the most wonderful 
airs and graces. 

Dunphy introduced the gay cyprian to the 
officers, and as he did so, she gave them her deli¬ 
cately poised finger-tips with a bird-like coyness 
which the glance of her beady black eyes belied. 

The nature of their business was soon made 
known to her, and without hesitation or the faint¬ 
est idea of a blush, she informed them that Fletch¬ 
er had been her constant companion, during his 
short stay at Coal Mine. She said he had plenty 
of money, and she helped him to spend it. 

In reply to their questions about his where¬ 
abouts now, the girl said that he intended going to 
Thistle, and that he might proceed to Salt Lake. 
Further than this she could not enlighten them 
and they were compelled to be satisfied with what 
nformation they had received. 


Il6 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

This was reliable and satisfactory news to Bell, 
and after lingering a few minutes longer and com¬ 
pensating the girl for the information which she 
had imparted to them, the two men took their de¬ 
parture, and returned to the hotel, well pleased 
with the result of the evening’s enperience. 

Bell resolved at once to start for Thistle, but to 
his utter disappointment he learned that he could 
not go before noon on the following day. 

So bidding the officer good-night, he retired to 
his room, and anxiously awaited the coming mor¬ 
row, when he could again start on the trail of the 
fugitive. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

The first thing my operative doid upon reaching 
Thistle, was to visit the Mountain House, the prin¬ 
cipal hotel in that locality, where he found upon 
the register the signature of A. J. Ratcliffe, Aspen, 
which was enough to insure him that he was fol¬ 
lowing in the correct path. 

The signature was under the date of the pre¬ 
vious day, and did not show on the margin of the 
register that a room had been assigned to him. 
Therefore Bell decided that he had only stopped 
for his meals, and did not stay there over night. 
Pointing to the name on the register, Bell inquired 
of the clerk if he knew what train Mr. Ratcliffe 
had taken going west. The clerk could not or 
would not remember anything about him, more 
than he had settled his bill and left the house after 
dinner the previous day. 

But Bell’s hopes and anticipations were too high 
to be frustrated now by the churlish answer of the 
hotel clerk. The detective decided to again wire 
Foley at Salt Lake, to be on the alert. So board¬ 
ing the two o’clock train that afternoon he went to 
117 


Il8 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

Provo, ten miles further west, and after examining 
the hotel registers at that city, wired his brother 
operative at Salt Lake the following message: — 

“Package may arrive on any train, 

“Bell.” 

To which he received the following reply: 

“Package has arrived. Come at once, 

“Foley.” 

This was glorious news to the indefatigable de¬ 
tective, to know that his long, tedious, and tire¬ 
some journey was at last to be crowned with suc¬ 
cess. Taking the first train, Bell reached Salt 
Lake at nine o’clock that night, and at once re¬ 
paired to the house of Mrs. Brigham, where ope¬ 
rative Foley had been boarding since he relieved 
Bell some weeks before. 

On arriving at the house, Bell stated that he 
had brought a new suit of clothes for Mr. Foley, 
and would like to have that gentleman try them 
on and see if the goods were satisfactory. The 
two detectives showed no sign of acquaintance, 
and closed the door ostensibly for the purpose of 
trying on the clothes. While thus closeted to¬ 
gether, detective Foley informed Bell that Fletcher 
had arrived there on the early morning train, and 
that he had kept close watch of him during the day, 
until he had registered at the Grand Pacific Hote] 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE Iig 

under the name of A. J. Ratcliffe, and was as 
signed to room 63. 

This name was the same as had been used by 
Fletcher in other hotels which Bell had visited, 
but he deemed it advisable to go to the Grand 
Pacific, and examine the handwriting and satisfy 
himself that it compared with the other signatures 
which he had seen on his journey. This done, 
Bell requested Foley to remain around the hotel, 
while he went to consult with the authorities. 

Upon going to the office of the chief of police, 
Mr. John M. Young, he was received by that 
official, as he had been elsewhere, with the utmost 
courtesy and kindness and with a warm proffer of 
assistance, which Bell gladly accepted. He detailed 
the circumstances of the robbery and his long pursuit 
of the escaping burglar, and also his strong belief 
that Fletcher was now hiding in that city. The 
chief fully coincided with his views, and promised 
to aid him to the utmost of his ability. 

Seeing the willingness with which Chief of 
Police Young desired to help my officers, Bell in¬ 
formed him that he would go back to the Grand 
Pacific, and, in company with Foley, remain there 
until the said Mr. Ratcliffe would put in an appear¬ 
ance, at which time they would telephone to police 
headquarters for officers to assist in the arrest. 


120 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


The plan agreed upon, Bell joined Foley in the 
waiting-room of the Grand Pacific, where they 
watched closely every guest as they entered and 
left the house during the evening. 

The detectives remained seated in the waiting- 
room of this magnificent hotel, until every other 
guest had retired, owing to the lateness of the hour 
— i A. m.— and as they feared they might attract 
suspicion by remaining up at such an unseasonable 
time, they decided to retire, that they might be 
the fresher for the following day, which was likely 
to be of an interesting character. 

Bright and early on the following morning, the 
two detectives were up ready for business, and 
when passing room 63, observed that the door 
was locked with the key on the inside. Going to 
the office, Bell inquired of the night clerk what 
time Mr. Ratcliffe had retired, to which that cour 
teous watcher of the night replied: 

“Three o’clock this morning.” 

This was sufficient information to warrant Bell 
in making the arrest, and requesting Foley to keep 
a close watch on Ratcliffe’s room, went direct to 
police headquarters, where he met the two officers 
who had been deputized for his assistance by Chief 
Young, and proceeded at once to the Grand Pacific. 

On reaching the hotel, the officers went at once 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


12 1 


to room 63 on the sixth floor of the house, where 
they rapped and demanded entrance. Not sus¬ 
pecting that he was to open the door to a man 
who had followed him nearly three thousand miles, 
with the persistency of a sleuth-hound, the half 
awakened inmate obeyed the summons, to find 
himself surrounded by four experienced officers. 

“Frank Fletcher, alias, A. J. Ratcliffe, con¬ 
sider yourself my prisoner,” said Bell, as he placed 
his hand on his shoulder, “on the charge of rob¬ 
bing the Pullman Palace Car, “Mermaid,” in com¬ 
pany with one Ledger Wood, on the night of the 
24th of May.” 

At the same time police Officer Grant produced 
and read the necessary papers, which made him a 
prisoner of the Territory of Utah. 

Fletcher stoutly maintained his innocence, which 
is invariably the plea of all guilty men, when run 
down and placed in the hands of the law, through 
the efforts of what is termed, “cowardly de¬ 
tectives.” 

“You will have a chance to prove your inno¬ 
cence to your full satisfaction,” replied Bell, “and 
no one is more anxious for you to do that than I 
am.” 

The cool, indifferent manner in which the detect¬ 
ive listened to the ravings about his innocence 


122 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


from this captured and baffled criminal, had the 
effect of completely unnerving him. After he was 
assisted in dressing himself, Bell requested the 
officers to search him. Whereupon the amount of 
sixteen hundred dollars was found on his person 
in gold and paper currency, besides valuable dia¬ 
monds, similar to those found by the detective in 
the different loan offices on his journey, and bear¬ 
ing the trade mark of Tiffany & Co., with the fol¬ 
lowing numbers on each diamond, viz. 708—5346 
—3106— 902—1004. 

“As the numbers on these diamonds will corre¬ 
spond with the record kept of them by the firm in 
New York, I suppose you will have no difficulty in 
explaining how they came into your possession ?” 
remarked Bell to the prisoner, as he looked at the 
five sparkling beauties which lay on the table. 

This remark was thrown out by the detective as 
a feeler, and had the desired effect; the prisoner’s 
features became more firmly set, and began to 
take on a look of despair. 

Before attempting to remove the prisoner from 
Salt Lake, Bell sent me a telegram announcing 
the arrest, also giving the number of the five dia¬ 
monds found upon his person. This despatch was 
received by me in Chicago, early that morning. I 
at once telegraphed Tiffany & Co., at New York, 




“ I suppose you will have no difficulty in explaining how these 
came into your possession? ” 


f ullman Car Detoctira, 






































































THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


123 


inquiring of them if these numbers corresponded 
with the record in their office, of the jewels stolen 
from Carlyle Manning, in the Pulman palace car, 
“Mermaid.” 

At eleven o’clock that day I received their an¬ 
swer, in which they affirmed that the numbers cor¬ 
responded with their record, and were among the 
stolen goods, taken from their salesman Manning, 
on the 24th of the previous month. 

Although I had taken this step as a precaution 
against any mistake that might occur in arresting 
the wrong man, I had never entertained a doubt 
from the first but what Bell had arrested the real 
criminal, and lost no time in instructing my oper¬ 
atives to satisfy every legal obligation to the author¬ 
ities of the Territory of Utah, in the form of req¬ 
uisition papers before bringing the criminal East. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


Since the arrest of Fletcher he had assumed the 
most rigid silence, and it was with difficulty that 
he could be induced to speak at all. Going to the 
dining-room the officials sat down and partook of 
a hearty breakfast. Fletcher, however, did not 
seem to notice what was going on about him, but 
appeared dazed and dumfounded and pushed his 
plate away as if unable to partake of the food 
thereon. 

Bell took the moneys and diamonds found on 
Fletcher’s person and, securing them in a chamois 
bag, placed them in his inside pocket, where he 
would be sure that they would be safe. Fletcher 
gazed wistfully at the large amount of money and 
jewels, but never spoke. 

Bell remarked, however, “You have been well 
supplied with money, I see; how did you come in 
possession of so much cash and valuables ?” 

“It was left to me by a deceased relative,” an¬ 
swered Fletcher sullenly. 

“All right,” said Bell, seeing that it was useless 

124 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


125 


to induce him to tell the truth, “you will have a 
chance to explain that later.” 

All was in readiness now for the trip to the 
depot, to take the afternoon express for Chicago, 
and Bell informed the prisoner that if he would go 
along peacefully he would not put the handcuffs on 
him or brand him as a prisoner. Fletcher said he 
would not make any trouble for them, so the 
party started off together for the railroad station. 

Arriving there it was almost time for the train 
and my operative took the chance, while waiting, to 
thank the two officers for their prompt and kind as¬ 
sistance, and after remunerating them handsomely 
for their trouble, bade them farewell. 

Soon after they were speeding on their way back 
to Chicago. Tired and weary after his long 
search, Bell felt the effects of it, and ordering his 
berth made down early, retired for the night, but 
not before he had securely handcuffed Fletcher to 
Foley, so that there was no possible chance of the 
prisoner making his escape while they were asleep. 

Bell slept in section 7 and Foley occupied section 
8, directly opposite, in the Pullman palace car 
“Rambler.” 

The next morning, on reaching Grand Junction, 
the train stopped twenty minutes for breakfast, and 
my two operatives, with their prisoner, went to 


126 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


the railroad eating-house where a sumptuous meal 
was served, but it did not seem to have any charm 
for Fletcher, he still maintained the stolid indiffer¬ 
ence of the night before. When they had re¬ 
turned to the car, Bell quietly handed him a cigar, 
which he accepted, and then asked for a match. 
After smoking for some time, he turned to Bell 
and said: “How did you find out that my name 
was Fletcher?” 

“The way that we find out everything else,” 
said Bell. “What did you want to change it for?” 

“Well, I have had some trouble with my family 
at home, and thought that if I assumed another 
name and went West, it would be difficult for 
them to find out where I was.” 

Bell listened to him until he finished his story, 
and then turning his head so that he looked Fletch¬ 
er full in the face, said: “Fletcher, those tales of 
falsehood are of no use to you now, and I don’t 
care to hear any more of them. There is evidence 
enough against you to convict, and your only hope 
now is to try to make your sentence as light as 
possible.” 

“Upon what evidence have you arrested me?” 
asked the prisoner. 

Bell saw that he was in a more talkative mood 
and replied: 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


127 


“That is not for me to say, but you will find we 
have enough to convict, and the best thing for you 
to do is to tell what you know about this affair, 
and assist the officers in securing the valuables that 
you and your accomplice stole from Carlyle Man¬ 
ning on the Pullman palace car ‘Mermaid.’” 

“Do you think I would be convicted, were I to 
tell all I know?” 

“That I cannot say. But the court would cer¬ 
tainly be more lenient with you, were you to con¬ 
fess the truth and assist the officials in bringing 
the other criminal or criminals to justice, a confes¬ 
sion would be to your advantage.” 

Fletcher thought for a while and then said: 
“Well, I don’t know anything about it; I have 
no confession to make; I am innocent.” 

“Very well,” said Bell, “do as you like about 
that. If you don’t care to take my advice, which 
is for your own good, I have nothing further to 
say.” 

Bell decided this was the best plan to pursue as 
Fletcher was weakening, and before they reached 
Chicago, he would eventually break down., and a 
confession of some kind would follow. 

As yet Fletcher was not aware that his accom¬ 
plice, Ledgerwood, had been captured, which 
was the reason he so strongly pleaded his inno- 


128 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


cence. Bell deemed it best not to tell him for a 
while at least, so the prisoner remained silent until 
they reached Glenwood, where he made some re¬ 
mark about the mountain scenery. 

“Yes,” said Bell, “the scenery is beautiful. 
Have you traveled much in the West?” 

“No,” he replied, “this is my first trip west of 
the river.” 

“Where is your home?” continued Bell. 

“In New York State.” 

“Is that where your family reside?” v 

“Yes, sir.” 

Bell knew that he was not telling the truth, 
and merely asked the question to hear what the 
reply would be. Seeing that Fletcher was not 
going to say any more about his family, Bell told 
him he was informed that his family lived near 
Keokuk. “You see there is little hope for you if 
you keep from us the information we desire. If 
you refuse to help us, it will make it the harder 
for yourself, and if you do not confess. Ledger- 
wood will.” 

Fletcher was astounded. He buried his face in 
his hands and was for a time completely pros¬ 
trated, when he exclaimed: “Well, if you have 
got him, I might as well tell what I know.” 

The confession of Fletcher revealed a life of dis¬ 
sipation which had been carried on for years. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


I29 


“To give you the full particulars of this robbery, 
said the prisoner, “I must go back to my early 
life.’ 7 

“Very well,” said Bell, “do so, if you think 
best.” 

“For six years I was employed by the firm of 
Seaman & Benedict of Chicago,” continued Fletch¬ 
er, “and received from them a good salary, did 
a large business, and was well liked. But in an 
evil hour I commenced gambling, and then my 
salary was not large enough to satisfy all the de¬ 
mands upon it. 

“After a while my firm found out the life I was 
leading, and of course to protect their own safety, 
informed me that my services were no longer 
needed. My wife soon learned that I had been 
discharged by the firm, and reflected on me so 
severely that I deserted her in Burlington, Iowa. 
Then I drifted back West, and followed for a 
time my favorite occupation, and made several 
trips from Salt Lake to Portland. 

“It was on one of these journeys that I first 
saw Carlyle Manning, and at once the idea struck 
me that he could be easily robbed of his valuables 
while asleep in the Pullman palace car.” 

Fletcher’s version of the robbery coincided in 
nearly every particular with that of Ledgerwood. 

Detective 9 


13° 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“What did you do with the valises?” asked Bell. 

“ We threw them into the Susquehanna River 
that night after filling them with stones, so they 
could not be found and used as a clew.” 

“And what became of the diamonds?” 

“Disposed of them anywhere and everywhere 
I could get anything for them.” 

This was all necessary, as the guilt of both men 
was now established, and there was nothing left 
remaining but to bring them to a speedy trial. 


CHAPTER XX. 


At the opening of the September term of the su¬ 
perior court at Fort Wayne, six weeks after the 
arrest of Fletcher, the two confessed burglars of 
the palace car “Mermaid” were called to the bar 
of justice to answer for their crime. Owing to the 
wide publicity of the arrest of the prisoners in the 
papers throughout the country, the court-room 
was thronged to suffocation by all classes of peo¬ 
ple, mostly from curiosity to see these men who 
were strangers in Fort Wayne, but who had com¬ 
mitted their crime within the jurisdiction of Allen 
County. 

Conspicuous among the audience was the aged 
father and mother of Fletcher, who had come on 
from Keokuk, and had spent much money in se¬ 
curing one of the best legal advisers to defend 
their son. By their side could be seen the wife of 
the prisoner, who, but a few months before, he 
had ruthlessly thrust aside, but who had now for¬ 
gotten all his faults and thought only of his rescue 
and welfare. 


131 


132 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

Here also was the father of Edwin Ledgerwood, 
the only friend he had in that vast assembly. 
Though his face was stern and immovable, yet the 
quivering of the lips and the nervous trembling of 
the wrinkled hands told too painfully that he, too, 
was suffering beyond expression in the sorrow that 
had been wrought by the boy who, in his early 
years, had been his pride and joy. 

Ledgerwood, who until now had kept his early 
life a mystery to the public, was found to be the 
profligate son of very worthy parents, living in 
Lynn, Mass. His father at one time had been a 
wealthy shoe manufacturer of that town, but dur¬ 
ing one of the financial panics that swept over the 
country, he was unfortunate enough to suffer em¬ 
barrassment which stripped him of his fortune and 
left him penniless, to begin again the battle of life. 

Young Ledgerwood was a singularly handsome 
man. Firm and erect, of medium height, his 
shoulders broad and firmly set, his features were 
finely cut and handsome, and his large dark-blue 
eyes were wonderful in their expression and at a 
glance would startle the victim of hi£ anger or 
thrill the object of his tenderness. His wild desire 
to see the western country, and return to his 
native town a rich man was an honorable am¬ 
bition, if the means would have justified the end. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


133 


When the judge had taken his seat, and the 
door opened to admit the two prisoners, all eyes 
were turned upon them. Slowly and with down¬ 
cast eyes they entered the chamber of justice, and, 
amid an awe-like stillness that pervaded the room, 
took their seats in the prisoners’ dock. In spite 
of all that had transpired, and with the full con¬ 
viction that these offenders richly merited what¬ 
ever judgment they were to receive, there was 
not one in that entire assembly whose heart did 
not throb with sympathy for the relatives of the 
accused, and even for the culprits themselves in 
this, the dreadful hour of their humiliation and 
grief. 

The trial was not a protracted one. The jury 
was speedily empaneled, the low stern tones of 
the judge were heard in timely admonition and 
the prosecution commenced. Upon the prisoners 
being asked to plead to the indictments which had 
been prepared against them, Mr. Gray, a prom¬ 
inent attorney of Fort Wayne, who had been re¬ 
tained to defend the unfortunate men, arose, and 
in impressive tones entered a plea of guilty. With 
the keen perceptions of a bright lawyer, he felt 
that the proofs were too strong to be overcome, 
and to attempt to set up any technical defense 
would only result more disastrously to his clients. 


134 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


He, however, made an eloquent and touching ap¬ 
peal for the exercise of judicial clemency. 

The State’s Attorney listened with close atten¬ 
tion, and upon rising to address the court said: 
That it was one of the misfortunes of the legal 
profession, that compelled men to speak against 
their feelings. But being so often associated with 
crimes of this character, their sense of touch be¬ 
came hardened, and whenever it was his unpleasant 
lot to be retained to convict criminals, he found 
they would invariably enter a plea for mercy. No 
one felt keener than he the humiliation and shame 
which these men have brought upon their innocent 
and defenseless relations, but the law must be 
vindicated, or society can not stand. He ex¬ 
pressed the conviction that justice called for sen¬ 
tence, but there were elements in this case in 
which the wisest judgment would partake of the 
qualities of mercy. 

At the conclusion of this request the judge or¬ 
dered an adjournment of the court, that he might 
be enabled to administer sentence such as the law 
demanded under the circumstances. And with 
regard of tender feeling for the relatives of the 
accused, he deferred judgment until the following 
day. 

On the following morning the prisoners were 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


135 


again brought before the bar to receive the sen¬ 
tence of the court, and as the Hon. John W. 
White took his seat upon the bench, he com¬ 
menced by saying: That he was but the mouth¬ 
piece of justice, whose duty it was to administer 
the law as he found it. He said the prisoners’ 
crime was cool, cowardly and premeditated; per¬ 
petrated in the dead hour of night. He further 
said that in reviewing the whole case he could 
not find one single extenuating circumstance in the 
prsioners’ favor, that could appeal to him for 
judicial clemency or mercy. He would not turn a 
deaf ear, however, to the eloquent plea of Coun¬ 
sellor Gray who besought the court to remember 
the aged parents who had entered the afternoon 
of life, soon to leave us in the gathering twilight, 
which was the only consideration left in their 
favor, and in whose behalf he would limit the sen¬ 
tence to five years in the penitentiary at hard 
labor, which was the shortest term the law allowed 
him to impose for such an offense. 

In the Southern Indiana States Prison in Jeffer¬ 
sonville; strongly built and iron barred, whose 
huge walls of stone stand frowning and grim to re¬ 
sist attack from within and without; whose vaulted 
passages and iron doors defy the entrance of any 
except the authorities, here in these gloomy cells 


136 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

the criminals are counting the time as the days 
drag into weeks and weeks into months and be¬ 
moan the fate that has overtaken them. 

The pleasure and relief which the Palace Car 
Company experienced at the successful termina¬ 
tion of this important case was evinced by the 
gratitude they expressed upon receiving the news, 
in personally thanking the able men who were 
placed in my charge and who so carefully followed 
every thread of evidence until they succeeded in 
running down two criminals who Were evidently 
traveling in these rolling palaces, for no other 
purpose than to rob unsuspecting passengers of 
their baggage and valuables. 

Carlyle Manning was no less effusive in his 
praise of my valiant operatives for not only cap¬ 
turing the thieves, but in returning to him either 
his property or its value, found upon the prisoners 
at the time of their arrest and to each officer he 
made a handsome personal present. The firm of 
Tiffany & Co., in whose employ Manning was en¬ 
gaged, rendered a handsome testimonial to the 
thorough and efficient service given their salesman, 
who had been so unceremoniously despoiled of his 
goods while traveling in their employ. 

In closing, I wish to state, that although it had 
been extensively circulated by the newspapers 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


137 


throughout the country that Fletcher and Ledger- 
wood were only a part of an organized gang, whose 
purpose was to operate on the sleeping cars in 
different parts of the country, that after the closest 
investigation, I could discover no connecting link 
that placed them in co-operation with any other 
men of that class, and I was informed of no further 
trouble in that line thereafter. 


A PALACE CAR DETECTIVE 


CHAPTER I. 

During my service as a detective for the Pullman 
Palace Car Company I had charge of their work, 
on many railroads throughout the country, as 
well as a department known as “Train Checking” 
which extended to all classes of passenger cars and 
even freight cabooses. I found the Pullman con¬ 
ductor, generally speaking, a polite, dignified and 
intelligent man, who endeavored to perform his 
duties for the best interests of the company. The 
porters, were no less attentive to the passengers 
and ever ready to grant the smallest favor, that 
would gratify in any degree the pleasure and com¬ 
fort of the traveling Bohemian. 

I have found dishonest men among Pullman con¬ 
ductors, but not in comparison with the number 
that I have found among train conductors. My 
experience among this class of railroad men, has 
been humiliating in the extreme. I have on many 
occasions boarded a railroad car, at some obscure 
138 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


139 


station, under the guise of a commercial traveler 
and covering myself as much as possible from 
suspicion, seen the conductor collect five or ten 
dollars an hour in cash fares from passengers, and 
never render an account of a cent to the company 
when sending in his report. 

I don’t know of a position in all my experience 
that is capable of making men dishonest, faster 
than that of a railroad conductor. I am aware 
that conductors are poorly paid and that very ex¬ 
acting duties are required. They spend more than 
three-fourths of their time away from home and are 
constantly in the company of strangers, which 
causes them to lose all fear and become reckless. 

“There’s no flies on that conductor,” is a com¬ 
mon expression among my operatives, which means 
that the conductor is leery and suspicious and 
when collecting cash fares, he is always looking 
around the car to see who is watching him. If 
he sees that he is being watched by a stranger, he 
surmises instantly that the stranger is a “Spotter” 
and he at once by looks and signs, becomes one of 
the most awkward men on the train, which be¬ 
trays every indication of guilt. 

I have instructed my operatives, when checking 
trains, on different roads not to see “too much” 
which would arouse the suspicion of the train hands 
and render our service as detectives of no value. 


140 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


All railroads require their conductors to issue re¬ 
ceipts to any and all passengers who pay cash 
fares, if this receipt is not sigued by the conductor 
it is invariably a sign of dishonesty, as no excuse 
will be tolerated for the non-performance of this 
duty. 

Pullman conductors are expected to issue re¬ 
ceipts as well as the train conductors, the only 
difference being that a pullman conductor must 
issue a check to a passenger who buys a ticket at 
the Pullman office as well as to the one who pays 
him cash for his Palace car accommodations. 

On many far Western and Southern roads, where 
passengers board trains at remote stations, many 
cash fares are collected, by both classes of con¬ 
ductors. As the route on these long journeys is 
somewhat wild and desolate, much dishonesty has 
been practiced for years by both Pullman and train 
conductors. 

So completely disgusted had the Pullman Com¬ 
pany become that they lost all patience with dis¬ 
honest and unscrupulous conductors, and discharged 
or reprimanded men so indiscriminately, that it is 
not at all unlikely that honest conductors often 

had to suffer for the dishonest actions of their as- 

* 

sociates. 

If some intelligent inventor should construct a 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 14! 

machine that would register the number of pas¬ 
sengers that ride in the railroad cars he would ac¬ 
complish a work which would reflect unlimited 
credit upon himself and secure to thousands of con¬ 
ductors throughout the country the purity of an un¬ 
sullied character and thousands of dollars in money 
to railroad companies, from coast to coast. 

Among the many affairs, which I was instructed 
to investigate while an officer of this company, 
was one that had many peculiar bearings, which 
even years of experience as an operative and as a 
chief over other operatives, I must acknowledge 
reached beyond my scope of comprehension. It 
was not because it was buried beneath the net¬ 
work of deeply laid plans, or a conspiracy, emanat¬ 
ing from the brain of well trained bunco men, that 
required the sagacity of equally well trained detec¬ 
tives, but which demanded judgment, discrimina¬ 
tion and discretion more than skillful detection. 

Sometime in the month of June 1890 I was in¬ 
structed by Mr. John C. Goodwin superintendent 
of the Pullman Car Conductors, in Chicago, to get 
a check on Conductor Irving Hall’s Car, which 
was then attached to train number 6 on the Erie 
and Grand Trunk road running between that city 
and New York. 

By the term “Check” was meant that I should 


142 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


enter the car the same as an ordinary passenger 
and, after getting the name of the sleeper, to care¬ 
fully note the number of passengers who rode dur¬ 
ing the journey. Where they boarded the car and 
where they left it. The degree of attention that 
was given to each passenger by the conductor and 
porter, the condition the berths were in and whether 
the passengers occupied a single berth or a whole 
section and to particularly note the condition of the 
car before leaving terminus, regarding cleanliness, 
ventilation and general make up. 

I entered the car that night just as the train was 
leaving the Polk Street Station and found it to be 
the “Ellsmere” elegantly finished in carved mahog¬ 
any and ornamented with brass grille and polished 
plate mirrors. The upholstering throughout the 
car was of gold frieze plush, and the draperies, 
curtains, lambrequins, etc., were especially selected 
to harmonize with the finish and plan of the car 
and all other numerous equipments, devices and 
appliances known to the car builders’ art. 

The “Ellsmere ’’was a ten section vestibule coach, 
beside having a spacious drawing-room, and had 
just been turned out of the car shops of Pullman 
at an expense of twenty-three thousand dollars. 

Sometime after the lapse of an hour, during 
which time the train was getting out of the city 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 143 

and over the many side crossings, the conductor 
began to collect the Pullman fares and assign each 
passenger to his section or berth. As he ap¬ 
proached section ten in which I was seated I offered 
him my railroad ticket, as if I did not understand 
that something else beside the train ticket was re¬ 
quired of passengers who enjoy the magnificent ac¬ 
commodations of the vestibule car. 

“This ticket will be collected by the train con¬ 
ductor, I want your Pullman Car ticket, ” he said 
with a smile. At the same time eying me closely 
as if trying to discover the Hayseed in my hair. 

“What, must I buy two tickets to ride on this 
road ?” 

“No sir, but you must have two tickets to ride 
in this car.” 

“But how am I to get them, I can’t get off the 
train now?” 

“No necessity to leave the train, sir, you can pay 
me cash for your fare. How far are you going?” . 

“To New York.” 

“Then your Pullman fare will be five dollars ex¬ 
tra.” 

After much scolding and commenting about the 
rich railroad autocrats, bloated bondholders and 
millionaires, I went down into my pocket and pro¬ 
duced the required amount, for which he wrote out 


T 44 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


and punched me a receipt, with all the courtesy 
and frankness that I could expect at the hands of 
anyone, and furthermore informed me that if there 
was anything that he could do that would add 
pleasure to my thousand mile journey the services 
of him and his porter were at my command. 

My object was to pay him cash for my Pullman 
fare without attracting his suspicion, and see if 
he would report it in his diagram upon his return, 
or keep the money, for his own use. 


CHAPTER II. 


It was half-past ten o’clock when the train had 
passed the suburban stations and all the berths in 
the “Ellsmere” were occupied. One passenger re¬ 
mained unaccommodated, for whom no berth could 
be supplied except the drawing-room. The pas¬ 
senger was a young lady of very modest and un¬ 
assuming appearance, who had been seen into the 
car by several elderly friends, evidently her rela¬ 
tives, with whom she had been visiting and who 
were seeing her off as she was about to depart on 
her journey East 

When Conductor Hall had discharged his duties 
with the most careful attention, he entered the 
drawing-room to wait on the young lady. There 
had evidently been some mistake in regard to her 
ticket, which was not known until she had entered 
the car. It would not do for me to make any in¬ 
quiries regarding the entangled matter about which 
they were discussing, as I was very cautious that 
no interest should be shown on my part, that might 
arouse suspicion. I therefore simply noted what 
j Detective 10 145 


I46 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

berths were occupied, with a description of each 
occupant, and retired for the night. 

Early the following morning when I arose, how¬ 
ever, I took particular attention to observe that 
the drawing-room had been occupied by the young 
lady, who seemed to cause the conductor so much 
uneasiness the night before. 

In my report, which was rendered of the trip, I 
placed a passenger in every berth and reported the 
drawing-room occupied, describing each passenger 
separately and distinctly, as to sex, height, color of 
hair and complexion, also named the different 
stations along the road at which each passenger 
left the car. I spend much time preparing my de¬ 
scriptive reports, in the most careful and minute 
way and whenever there is the slightest doubt in 
my mind regarding any fact that I am to mention, 
I always give the conductor and porter the benefit 
of that doubt. During this trip there was no 
doubt in my mind regarding any passenger. I had 
carefully observed each and every one, and had 
conversed with more than half of them. 

In the course of a few days after sending in my 
report, I was much surprised upon receiving a let¬ 
ter from Superintendent Goodwin, informing me 
that I had exceeded the conductor one passenger, 
which I reported as occupying the drawing-room, 




She was allowed to occupy the drawing room car. 


Pullman Car DetectiTe^ 



























































r 












- i 










% 










\ 









0 


A 


* 




4 * 









* 






THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


147 


and he further requested me to verify my report 
by describing the said passenger, as to age, height, 
complexion and dress, also to state at what point 
the passenger came on, and give her destination. 

As I always have in my possession a complete 
account of all my trips to refer to at any moment, 
and, if necessary, produce a duplicate copy of the 
one already sent, I turned to my note book and 
gave Superintendent Goodwin a verified description 
of the passenger. I had no doubt but what the 
conductor could explain himself regarding this 
drawing-room passenger, and gave the matter no 
further thought, until, a few days later, when I was 
astonished by the news that Irving Hall had been 
discharged from the service of the Pullman Car 
Company. 

There was an air of frankness and honesty of 
purpose in this young man’s actions and bearing 
that particularly attracted my attention, and al¬ 
though hardened as I had become in the detection 
of dishonest conductors, I would not allow myself 
to be convinced that Irving Hall was guilty of 
criminal dishonesty. 

To disobey instructions is one thing—to be a 
thief is quite different. However, if every young 
man will carefully obey the orders of his superior, 
he may frequently save himself a vast amount of 


J4S THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

worrying and annoyance, which would not come 
to him except through neglect oj^duty. 

How many reputations have been blasted by a 
thoughtless action or a careless performance of 
duty; and to those who have no resources in the 
world to rely upon but integrity and ability, how 
important it is that the first should be preserved in 
its purity in order that the second may have ample 
scope for the full display of its powers. 

But it is too true that the best of characters 
may sometimes prove insufficient for the task of 
shielding a man from dishonor. How many men 
have been discharged from places of honor and 
trust, at a time when their services seemed to be 
the most needed and without any cause given for 
the action. Many times during the hurry and 
rush, in transacting a large business, goods and 
money have been missed and rather than devote 
the time necessary to the discovery of the real 
criminals, employers have disposed of the perplex¬ 
ity by discharging the person against whom dis¬ 
honesty could be justified. 

In many cases a young man thus disposed of, 
even with numerous friends, has had his prospects 
blighted forever, and finds himself condemned with¬ 
out a hearing, punished without proof, and stig¬ 
matized as dishonest without just cause or proper 
nvestigation. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


149 


It is true that in a majority of cases it will be 
found that the person upon whom the weight of 
punishment falls is one who has been careless— 
has been in the habit of forgetting his instructions 
at a time when observance was virtue. But I 
have always thought that a proper inquiry should 
be made in an action which operates to the injury 
of a man's character, as well as that a careful 
attention to instructions is necessary to make a 
valuable employe, or a faithful servant. 

It might be possible that the conductor over¬ 
looked some instructions which he was to follow— 
perhaps through negligence, or forgetfulness-—but 
nevei through criminal intent. I therefore in¬ 
structed an operative in my charge to look up young 
Hall, and in a cautious way, ascertain from him 
what reason had been given by the superintend¬ 
ent, for so peremptorily disposing of his services, 
and if possible; get a full statement of his side of 
the case. 

This was a risky undertaking for me, as I knew 
Mr. Goodwin must have some good reason for 
requesting a “Check” on the “Ellsmere,” and that 
through some act of this young conductor he had 
aroused the suspicion of the superintendent, which 
was followed by ordering me to inspect his serv¬ 
ice, and it was through a discovery found in my 


150 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

report that he had been discharged; yet there was 
something about the case that compelled me to 
take the risk, to satisfy myself and determine 
whether or not Hall had been unfaithful to his 
trust. 

I did not have to wait long, however, to get 
Hall’s side of the case from the operative whom I 
had sent to look up the discharged conductor. It 
was to the effect that he had been dismissed from 
the service for allowing a young lady to occupy the 
drawing-room, who simply carried a Pullman pass, 
that was issued to her father and had been loaned 
by him to her, which she had no right to use as it 
was made out in another name. 

He further said that the young lady had been 
escorted into the car by refined and intelligent look¬ 
ing friends, and upon going to collect her fare, 
found that through some accident she had forgotten 
her purse, but as she was going to leave the train 
early the following morning at Battle Creek, 
Michigan, where her parents resided, she did not 
feel greatly annoyed over her loss. Believing that 
she must be the daughter of some influential rail¬ 
road man from the fact that she was riding on 
her father’s pass, he, through a feeling of courtesy 
and respect for the young lady, permitted her to 
occupy the drawing-room, as all the other berths 
were taken. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


151 

“Did you ever meet this young lady before?” in¬ 
quired Baker, as he was about leaving Hall’s com¬ 
pany. 

After some hesitation the young man, who had 
paid so dearly for his indescretion and forgetfulness 
of duty, replied: “Yes, several times.” 

“Do you know her name?” 

“Alice Sherbrook; her father is a large furniture 
manufacturer in Battle Creek, Michigan, and is 
well known in Chicago.” 

The fact that the conductor allowed a passenger 
to use a pass issued to another person without get- 
ing its number and form was a serious mistake, 
which no large railroad would allow to be over¬ 
looked. By referring to their files the same as a 
banker refers to the stubs in his check-book, the 
company could have seen whose pass had been 
used. 

I have known unscrupulous men to work into 
the graces of some railroad official to such a degree 
as to receive an annual pass over the road repre¬ 
sented by the official, which would be given as a 
compliment, and I have afterward known this re¬ 
ceiver of kindly favors to take his pass to some 
ticket broker’s office and sell it or rent it by the 
day, week or month. Was this not a similar case? 
The Pullman Company had no means of know- 



152 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

ing so long as the conductor had not taken the form 
and number when shown to him by the young lady 
passenger. 


CHAPTER III. 


Irving Hall belonged to that class of young men 
who are constantly besieging the offices of large 
companies in our leading cities, 'to secure employ¬ 
ment in some of the different departments in an 
official capacity—gain a secure footing and event¬ 
ually realize that they are on the road to future 
success, and I may say here, that no firms have 
offered better chances to scores of young men of 
limited resources than have the different Palace 
Car companies of this country. It is not only an 
employment but a school, in which young men may 
enter, receive legitimate compensation for their 
services, and meet, converse, and exchange ideas 
witn the best class of our traveling public, and I 
owe it as a matter of courtesy, justice and right, 
to say that many of the young men have shown 
their appreciation for the advantage afforded them 
to enter the employment of these companies, as 
conductors and porters, and from them have 
stepped into higher places, and to-day are honoring 
positions that honor them. 

Some of the ablest and brightest railroad men 
153 


154 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


that we have in the country to-day first began their 
career in these positions, in which, by a strict and 
careful attention to instructions, they qualified 
themselves to hold responsible positions and super¬ 
intend great systems which will cause the present 
century to pass into history as an age of rail and 
wire. 

That these whispering tongues of ambition had 
brightened the hopes and whetted the pride of young 
Hall, there is not the slightest doubt. 

He was the only son of a widowed mother, who 
built high hopes on his future with that intensity 
so often cherished in a woman’s mind. Several 
uneventful years had been passed in a fruitless at¬ 
tempt by Mrs. Hall to secure for her son a situation 
in which he would be fixed for life, and eventually 
ascend to a higher and more lucrative position, 
both in the eyes of herself and the world, and the 
fact that she had succeeded in her undertaking 
now seemed a reward for her long and patient toil. 

Irving Hall had occupied his position something 
over a year when I was assigned to the unpleasant 
task of inspecting his service in the capacity of a 
detective. I was not instructed to take into con¬ 
sideration his age, character or previous condition, 
but to note, and as far as I could, observe if he 
fulfilled the confidence and trust that was reposed 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


*55 


in him as the conductor of a Pullman palace car. 

My duty as an operative was not influenced by 
prejudice or warped by jealousy, but by fairness, 
disinterestedness and justice, to both company and 
conductor. 

But the edict had gone forth. Conductor Hall 
had been discharged for an omission of duty, for 
which he had no one to blame but himself. His 
noble and aspiring mother saw the aspirations of 
years come to naught, and the young man was to 
contemplate the necessity of looking elsewhere 
for a new field in which to cultivate his talents and 
chance of future prosperity. 

Immediately following my “Check” on the“Ells- 
mere,” I received instructions from the Chicago, 
Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, to inspect the 
different trains on their line running from Kansas 
City, west, upon a new branch which they were 
then extending through the Indian Territory and 
Oklahoma, across the Red River into Texas. 

It was on this road that the great robbery was 
attempted by the notorious band of Dalton 
brothers, when the United States Government 
bought the Oklahoma Territory from the Indian 
Tribe of that name, for one hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars. The amount was to be paid in 
silver, and was to be brought into the Territory on 


156 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

two trains, twenty-four hours apart. The first 
train was to carry sixty-seven thousand silver dol¬ 
lars, and the balance was to follow the next day. 

The officials allowed the report to go out that 
the United States Treasury would send the money 
by a Rock Island regular train, which was to pass 
through a certain part of the Territory during the 
night. Upon learning this fact, the outlaws secreted 
themselves near the road on the night the money 
was expected, and when the headlight of the engine 
came in sight, the gang was up in arms. One of the 
number placing himself on the track some distance 
in front of the engine, waved a red light, which is 
a signal of danger, at which all trains are supposed 
to stop. 

As soon as the train came to a stand-still, the 
outlaws covered the engineer and fireman with 
their revolvers, and then ordered their prisoners to 
demand the messenger to open the express car 
door, which at first the expressman refused to do, 
but after recognizing the engineer s voice, unsus¬ 
pectingly obeyed and unlocked his door, when the 
gang entered the car and covered the express hands 
with their guns, while one of their number pro¬ 
duced a sledge-hammer and broke in the top of 
the safe. 

Reaching down through the top of the broken 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


157 


safe, they pulled out a few canvas bags which they 
thought contained the sixty-seven thousand dollars, 
but instead held less than two hundred in small 
silver coins. 

On the following day the Sante Fe railroad sent 
a train over their road into that country, carrying 
the money that had been reported would be railed 
over the Rock Island, and delivered it safely to the 
Indians on the day and hour agreed. 

These one hundred and fifty thousand silver dol¬ 
lars which the Government was to pay to the In¬ 
dians weighed twelve tons, and it is possible that 
had the Dalton brothers been successful in this 
robbery, the money would have been such a bur¬ 
den to carry they could not have got away with 
but a small amount, before alarm would have 
been sounded, and pursuit started. 

I required the assistance of several operatives to 
complete this check, which I was ordered to make 
on the Rock Island extension; each man was to 
board the train at different stations along the line, 
and occupy a different car, and after riding fifty 
or a hundred miles, were to leave the train at 
different points, so as not to be connected by the 
vigilant train hands, who seemed to think it was 
their duty to be on the lookout for “Spotters” as 
they call them, more than for running their trains 
and doing their work. 


158 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

While I was engaged in checking this road, I 
noticed that new trains were soon to be started, 
which would run from Caldwell, over their new 
line, to the junction of the M. K. & T. so as to 
connect for Denver. 

Upon the return of my operative, Herbert 
Baker, from his consultation with ex-conductor 
Hall, I began to look ovei the grounds, and after 
thoroughly debating the mattei in my mind, de¬ 
cided that I would endeavor to throw open a door 
through which he might enter, and if he felt so in¬ 
clined, retrieve his fallen fortunes; I therefore re¬ 
quested Detective Baker, to again have an inter¬ 
view with Hall, and inform him that there was a 
position soon to be opened for a conductor by the 
starting of a new train, on the extreme western end 
of the great Rock Island road, and that if he 
wanted the position, he, Baker, believed he had 
influence enough to secure it for him. 

The United States Government decided to allow 
the Rock Island Railroad to run a new mail and 
passenger train through the Cherokee Strip of the 
Indian Nation, a country that ^ad not yet been 
purchased from the Indians, or opened up to set¬ 
tlers, and inside of ten days events had so shaped 
themselves that Irving Hall was again in charge 
of a responsible position with increased salary. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


*59 


The young man was astonished beyond measure, 
and as language sometimes fails before the spell 
of feeling, could not realize that such success was 
to follow upon his late misfortune. He did not 
consider thanks sufficient, with which to repay this 
mysterious friend, for his trouble and information, 
and so offered him financial remuneration, where¬ 
upon Baker told him that their pleasure was mutual, 
and to be allowed to share it with him was all the 
recompense he required. 

It is a common error, I fear, to imagine that a 
detective is devoid of those finer feelings which 
animate humanity, and to credit him with only 
hard, stern ai^d uncompromising ideas of duty, 
which only appear upon the surface. This is a 
grave mistake, and does gross injustice to many 
honorable men and women, who in my own ex¬ 
perience, have developed some of the most deli¬ 
cate and noble traits of which human nature is 
capable. 

For the first week after enteringupon his duties, 
as a special conductor for the road, Superintendent 
Davis, of the Chicago division, detailed Hall to do 
special work on the suburban trains, running out 
of Chicago, so as to give him the instructions neces¬ 
sary to conduct a regular run on their road. The 
conducting of these suburban trains is considered 


i6o 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECT VE 


one of the most difficult positions that men are re¬ 
quired to fill, owing to the large number of passen¬ 
gers that crowd the cars at different hours of the 
day. 

Hall was at first set to work in the capacity of 
an assistant conductor, and given the management 
of one car, the second week he managed two cars 
of the train, and during the third week was con¬ 
sidered competent to manage a train, independ¬ 
ently by himself. 

As soon as a new conductor is placed in charge 
on any division of the great railroads, a close in¬ 
spection follows and shadows him, and the super¬ 
intendent can determine in a short time if his work 
is acceptable. 

After his third week’s work on the suburban 
trains, Hall was instructed to report for duty to 
division Superintendent Hancock, at Kansas City, 
where he arrived on the nineteenth. For the first 
week he was placed as an assistant on the night 
runs between Kansas City and Wichita, which was 
followed the second week by a transfer from 
Wichita to Caldwell. Here he was given final in¬ 
structions to take charge of the mixed train, ope¬ 
rating over the new extension between Ninnekah 
and Harrisonia. 


CHAPTER IV. 


Soon after Hall accepted his situation as con¬ 
ductor on the Rock Island, it occurred to me that 
a suitable inquiry should be made into the use that 
Mr. Sherbrook was making of his pass, which was 
given him by the Palace Car company as a com¬ 
pliment for their pleasant relations with each other 

An annual pass is given at the commencement 
of each year, and can be used only until the thirty- 
first of December, after that time it ceases to be 
effective, and another new pass must be issued in 
its place. A trip pass is issued for a single or a 
round trip as the case may be, and is effective dur¬ 
ing the continuance of that particular trip, but the 
time limited for the use of a trip pass can be thirty, 
sixty or ninety days. 

By consulting the record in the office of the 
Pullman Company, I found that Mr. Sherbrook’s 
pass was issued for the year, and was therefore an 
annual pass. The pass was issued to Mr. Charles 
C. Sherbrook, and no other member of his family 
had any right to use it. The company trusted to 
his honor that no advantage should be taken of 
Detective // 161 


162 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


their courtesy under the penalty of being “Black 
listed.” 

A name that has once been “Black listed” by any 
road for some improper use of its pass, can never 
again become a receiver of that institution’s 
favor. 

I therefore instructed Detective Baker to pro¬ 
ceed to Battle Creek, and enter into negotiations 
with Mr. Sherbrook, for a large contract of uphol¬ 
stering work about to be given for the Great 
Northern Hotel in Chicago; and after getting that 
gentleman well worked up into the imaginary deal 
of many thousands of dollars worth of goods, to be 
supplied on a cash basis to suddenly come to the 
conclusion that he must consult with one of his 
partners in Chicago, so as to close the deal upon 
his return the following morning; but upon looking 
in his pocket-book, he was to bemoan the loss of 
his annual pass, which had been given to him by 
the Pullman Palace Car company. 

Baker dressed himself in the height of fashion, 
with silk hat, gold rimmed eye-glasses, sparkling 
diamonds, and watch charm to match, together 
with a cane, patent leather shoes, until his general 
make up was that of a gentleman of affluence. 

Upon arriving at Battle Creek, he went directly 
to the Bryant House and registered as A. J. Field, 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 163 

Chicago, Ill., and engaged rooms on the second 
floor. During the forenoon, however, he culti¬ 
vated the acquaintance of the polite and polished 
clerk of the hotel, a Mr. Lansing, and after secur¬ 
ing the confidence of this young man, inquired if 
he knew a Miss Sherbrook who lived in that city. 

“Oh, very well,” replied Lansing, “she is my 
sister’s chum.” 

Baker did not place much weight on this line of 
inquiry until the clerk accidentally remarked that: 
“Miss Sherbrook was ‘just mashed’ on a young 
Pullman conductor, who passed through that place 
three times a week on his trips east and west,” 
and Lansing further informed his guest with a 
grim smile that, “although you may be quite a lady 
killer, you would stand no show in winning away 
this young lady from the object of her affections.” 

The wily detective represented to his host that 
this was distressing news for him to contemplate, 
as he had met the young lady several times, and 
regarded her as his ideal of perfection. 

“How does she meet her Pullman sweetheart?” 

“Why you see,” said Lansing, “her old man has 
got solid with the Pullman folks by doing so much 
work for them, and has got a free pass over the 
road, but his daughter uses it more than he does, 
and goes to Chicago twice a week to visit rela- 


164 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


tives, as she says, but everybody knows it is for 
the purpose of riding with her conductor. But 
the report is going around that the company has 
caught on to it, and that ‘Our Irving’ with his 
brass buttons and blue uniform don’t come this 
way any more.” 

My operative smiled with astonishment at re¬ 
ceiving information which he could see was public 
property in that city, but owing to the close rela¬ 
tions that existed between Lansing’s sister and 
Miss Sherbrook, believed that it would be unwise 
to carry that pleasant and interesting conversation 
too far, so as to arouse suspicion, and therefore 
left the hotel, to find Mr. Sherbrook’s residence. 
It was a two story house located in the pleasantest 
part of the city. On a wide avenue of elegant 
residences and a wealth of neatly trimmed shrub¬ 
bery, and long lines of over arching maple trees 
merging into pretty vistas which seemed to invite 
you to the beautiful hills, uplands and valleys, with 
their murmuring streams, sloping lawns and well 
kept homes. 

Baker strolled up the brick walk to the front 
door, and after a vigorous pull at the bell, the door 
was opened by a very prepossessing young lady, 
whom he knew at once was Miss Sherbrook, from 
the description given of her by the hotel clerk. 



Baker was admitted by Miss Sherbrook. 


Pullman Car Detective. 








































































































































































































THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 165 

He inquired if Mr. Sherbrook was at home, and 
if he could have the pleasure of seeing him, and 
being answered in the affirmative, he was invited 
in to wait the coming of that gentleman. 

The room into which he was shown was one of 
elegance and refinement. The tastefully draped 
windows, deeply framed pictures, marble mantle 
and fireplace, gave the place an air of luxury as 
well as comfort. 

Miss Sherbrook appeared to be about twenty 
years of age, of a very commanding appearance, 
and by some would be considered a very beautiful 
woman. There was something about her entire 
person that was strangely attractive to the most 
casual observer. Her head was well-formed and 
covered with a mass of wavy black hair, delicately 
arched eyebrows, and dark lashes, heavily shading 
great blue eyes, which would glance with cold¬ 
ness, or flash with joy according to the owner’s 
will. 

After a few moments delay, Mr. Sherbrook en¬ 
tered the room where a warm greeting passed be¬ 
tween the two men, after which the visitor took 
a card from his pocket, and handing it to Mr. 
Sherbrook, informed that gentleman that he repre¬ 
sented the new Great Northern, one of those mag¬ 
nificent hotels with which Chicago is abundantly 


166 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

provided. He found Mr. Sherbrook to be one of 
those old-fashioned, homely-spoken men, which 
are so numerous among the self-made class of that 
state. 

He had emigrated to Michigan from New Eng¬ 
land thirty years before, and by continual industry, 
honesty and frugality, had built up a large busi¬ 
ness and amassed quite a fortune. His honest, 
unsuspecting way and confidence in others’ honesty 
which has ruined so many men had evidently been 
an element of success in his career, and he now 
could look back over a life well spent in the build¬ 
ing up of a splendid home and an enviable reputa¬ 
tion as a citizen. 

His family consisted of a wife and one daughter, . 
whom he looked upon with regal pride, and it is 
possible that had my operative traveled from end 
to end of this great commonwealth, a home so 
magnificently situated in every respect would have 
been something difficult to have found. 

Upon entering into conversation with Mr. Sher¬ 
brook, Baker had no difficulty in making the de¬ 
sired arrangements for a large contract of uphol¬ 
stered furniture, although his host said that he had 
nearly all the work that his factory was able to do. 

After some little time, as the conversation was 
commencing to lag, Mr. Sherbrook invited his guest 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


167 


to accompany him through his works. Upon go¬ 
ing into this large establishment, Baker saw nearly 
three hundred men at work, handling mostly hard 
wood, which grows so abundantly in the forests of 
Michigan, and for the consumption of which there 
is such little demand. 

The pine forests of Michigan are as noted as the 
coal fields of Pennsylvania, but strange to say, 
there are millions of feet of other varieties of tim¬ 
ber that is made no use of, and covers nearly a 
quarter of that state. With the exception of what 
little can be worked into furniture and a few other 
findings, the balance goes to waste, not being 
worth the expense of transportation. 

Mr. Sherbrook had evidently recognized the 
opportunity to utilize this class of lumber, and for 
that purpose had built his large factory which 
carved, turned, and modled many thousand feet 
annually into different classes of hardwood finish¬ 
ings for the interior of offices, dwellings, cars, and 
steamships. 

After spending several hours in conversation 
with Mr. Sherbrook, Baker made the remark that 
he did not think it would be advisable to close 
such an important transaction too hastily, but 
would take a little more time and go into Chicago, 
and make some further inquiries regarding the in- 


I 68 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

terior finish of certain suites of parlors, which he 
had not thought about on the fifth floor of the 
great fire-proof hotel. 

To this suggestion the manufacturer acquiesced, 
and the two men started to walk in the direction 
of the depot. After walking a short distance, Baker 
began to ransack his pockets, at the same time 
murmuring at his own carelessness, which at¬ 
tracted the attention of Mr. Sherbrook, and stop¬ 
ping abruptly, said to that gentleman: 

“What will I do? I have lost my Pullman pass.” 

At which Mr. Sherbrook expressed his regret and 
wonderment. 

“You don’t suppose I could have lost it any¬ 
where around your factory, do you?” inquired 
Baker. 

“I don’t see how you could.” 

“Well then,” said the disappointed agent, “I will 
be obliged to pay my fare back to the city. That 
is all.” 

“Oh no, you needn’t,” replied the sympathetic 
Mr. Sherbrook ,“I can fix you out just as easy as 
rolling off a log.” 

“How so?” 

“Why, the Pullman people sent me out a pass 
some time ago and I never used it but once or 
twice. I guess my daughter has got it; as she 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


l6g 


saw it lying in my desk, she went to town on it a 
few times, and I don’t see why you can’t use it 
just as well as she did. It is of no use to me. I 
always ride in the smoking car on the train, in¬ 
stead of riding in Pullman’s gilt edged concerns.” 

The frank and unconcerned manner with which 
'Mr. Sherbrook delivered his pass to my operative, 
evinced no dishonest motive on his part, and he 
was evidently aware of no breach of trust toward 
the company who had favored him with their com¬ 
pliments. 

Upon the facts being made known to the Palace 
Car company, no intentional violation of etiquette 
was ascribed by them to Mr. Sherbrook’s actions, 
and I was instructed a few days later, while on 
my way through Battle Creek, to stop at that 
place and return the pass to him with a full ex¬ 
planation of the mischief it had worked. 


CHAPTER V, 


Soon after Irving Hall had taken charge of his 
train on the extension of the Rock Island, running 
from the Indian Territory into Northern Texas, I 
was surprised by again receiving instructions from 
that road to make another secret inspection of that 
end of their line and report it to them in Chicago. 

I therefore took three experienced operatives, 
who were strangers to one another, and who were 
not acquainted in the country in which we were 
going. At the first meeting of my assistants I 
instructed them not to recognize one another, so 
as to connect us together, nor in any way be in¬ 
terested in each others’ business, wherever they 
should chance to meet on their journey. 

John Green was designated to check the smoker, 
and was to wear a blue flannel shirt, slouch hat, 
and other articles of clothing much the worse for 
wear. He was also to make an old black pipe his 
constant companion, and if any one was to ask his 
business, he was to be looking for a section of land 
to settle on. 

Operative William Clark, the second man, was 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 1 71 

designated for the coach, known as the passenger 
car, and Charles Lucas, the third man, was to 
occupy the chair car, each of these men wsa to 
dress differently, not in any way to resemble each 
other, and never to be recognized when on duty. 
When putting up at any hotel, they were not to 
register from Chicago. 

Each man started from a different depot during 
the night, and traveled on separate roads, and after 
spending several days, stopping in cities along 
the route, so as to break up the trail, reached 
Wichita, Kansas, on the twenty-seventh, registered 
and occupied adjacent rooms in the Hotel Cary, 
where we all met and perfected our plans just be¬ 
fore entering the Indian Territory. 

At five o’clock on the following morning after 
covering ourselves from any chance of suspicion, 
each man reached the depot by a different route. 
John Green, who was to check the smoking car, 
bought a ticket to Caldwell, intending after he 
reached that place to come to the conclusion that 
he would ride to Kingfisher, so as to pay cash for 
his fare, between these two stations, which would 
be a test of the conductor’s honesty. 

Cash fares are of great importance in secret train 
inspecting. The conductor is supposed to render 
an account of every cash fare collected, and the 


172 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


name of the stations between which the fare was 
paid, and while engaged in train work, my opera¬ 
tives were supposed to note in his report where 
this cash passenger came on the train, and where 
he left it. When the report of the conductor and 
detective reaches the office of the railroad com¬ 
pany, the two returns are compared, and Green’s 
report must show that he paid a cash fare be¬ 
tween Caldwell and Kingfisher, and the conductor 
must also show that he collected that amount of 
cash between these stations. 

William Clark in the second car, was not to pay 
cash, but to purchase a ticket between Wichita and 
El Reno, and notice if any cash fares were paid 
to the conductor between these stations, and must 
state in his report of this trip whether cash was 
collected in the second car or not, and if so be¬ 
tween what stations did the cash passenger travel. 

Charles Lucas, my third operative, who covered 
the chair car, provided himself with a piece of a 
mileage ticket Jhat was to expire after the first fifty 
miles, and was to pay the conductor cash as far as 
Chickasha, where he would leave the train. 

On the following morning I left Wichita on an¬ 
other train, with a new conductor, and covered 
the chair car as far as Chickasha, where Lucas 
came on and relieved me, I leaving the car at 


173 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

the rear end, while he boarded it in the front. I 
used a ticket, and simply made note of the cash 
fares collected during my trip, and Lucas took the 
same conductor as far as Ninnekah, the end of the 
division, from which a new train continued the 
trip across the Red River into Texas. 

When the train reached Kingfisher, Green en¬ 
tered the smoker, carefully nursing his ancient 
black pipe, and at El Reno, Clark came into the 
passenger car, carrying two large valises and had 
every appearance of a traveling salesman; as he 
used a ticket the previous day, I instructed him to 
tender cash to the conductor, for this trip, and 
Green and Lucas were to travel on tickets. 

We had now reached the heart of the Indian 
Territory, tapped by the great Rock Island rail¬ 
road, and saw stretched out on every side, for 
hundreds of miles, as far as the eye could reach 
one of the finest countries and the most salubrious 
climate, over which the sun ever shone. 

It is one of the few spots on earth where cot¬ 
ton, Indian corn, broom corn, wheat, rye, oats 
and all other small grains, sorghum, millet, alfalfa, 
as well as apples, peaches, pears, plums,grapes and 
other fruits all grow to perfection on the same land. 
It is a natural small grain country, and it is a 
natural fruit country. It is specially the home of 


174 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


the peach and the pear. It abounds in soil of 
great depth and wonderful fertility. Its climate is 
mild and healthful, presenting a happy medium be¬ 
tween the extreme cold of our northern winters and 
the excessive heat of tropical summers. 

The tide of emigration is working strongly in 
this direction from Northern States, and large set¬ 
tlements are rapidly forming. The immense tracts 
formerly occupied exclusively by the cattle men 
have been found to be of too great value for agri¬ 
cultural purposes to be longer kept from the do¬ 
minion of the plow. These tracts have been mostly 
divided up and sectionized, and many of them 
have already been settled, and now present all the 
attractive features of busy and prosperous farming 
communities. 

This country has been inhabited for a thousand 
years, by different tribes of Indians, and after these 
countless ages, not one mark was found, not one 
monument left, castle or city built, by which we 
could know that a race of mankind once dwelt on 
these plains. 

Much has been said and written in defense of 
the Indian. From a humane standpoint, no one 
sympathizes with this lost race more than I. It is 
an interesting subject for writers and philan¬ 
thropists to dwell upon, who have lived among 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


175 


these tribes in . different parts of the West; no 
ambition, skill, science or genius, wealth or con¬ 
dition has been discovered that can raise these 
people to a stage from which they can claim one 
single reason why they should cumber the earth. 

The richest community in the world per capita, 
is the tribe of Osage Indians. Its aggregate wealth 
is ten times greater proportionally than the United 
States. It is held in common. The Chickasaw 
nation, as that tribe is now called, is worth fifty 
million dollars, come down to them through in¬ 
heritance, while many other tribes are quite as 
wealthy, yet this great wealth is of no use to them, 
and the Indian race is poorer to-day than ever 
before. 

“Alas, for them their day is o’er, 

Their fires are out from hill to shore, 

No more for them the red deer bounds, 

The axe is in their hunting grounds, 

Their pleasant springs are dry.” 

The new Territory of Oklahoma at this time 
had been opened up but a little over two years, 
yet during this short period the white settlers had 
built three cities—four during the first twenty- 
four hours—innumerable town sites, hotels, col¬ 
leges banking houses and great railroads, and had 
provided substantial homes for one hundred and 
thirty thousand families, and two hundred thou- 


176 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


sand acres have been given up to fruit culture and 
all kinds of vegetation, that will thrive in that 
latitude, and their highest ambition is to bulid an 
illustrious commonwealth of greatness and renown. 
What we have said of Oklahoma may be said of 
every state from coast to coast. 

It is less than half a century since the white man 
wrested that beautiful country west of the Rocky 
Mountains from the dominion of the Indians, but 
since that time he has opened mines that contain 
wealth richer than Ophir and Potosi, and has built 
up maufacturies and commerce that are as yet ad¬ 
olescent, but sufficient to magnify the greatness 
and glory of his name and although not of a people 
that wear either garter or coronet—proclaimed by 
no herald—yet he is welcome in the courts of 
princes and the palaces of kings. 

Within the quarter of a century just preceding 
the first acquisition of California by the white man, 
it was transformed from the hunting ground of the 
savage to a land that rivaled in splendor and abun¬ 
dance anything ever described in the annals of sa¬ 
cred or profane history. In that short period there 
has sprung up not only gardens of splendor and vine¬ 
yards from whose veins flow the nectars of the 
world, but men of many millions, by whose en¬ 
terprise, intellect, benevolence and grandeur there 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


177 


is not a parallel among the patriarchs of old. One 
whose name we may mention is that of Lelancl 
Stanford. 

A correct type of American manhood he reached 
the Pacific coast from his home in Albany, New 
York, early in the fifties, a poor boy. Being the 
architect of his own character, he reared for him¬ 
self and his country a fortune and a name the 
greatness of which will sound through the re¬ 
motest ages. 

He threw out the first shovelful of dirt on the 
Central Pacific railroad, and when the Central and 
Union Pacific met at Promontory, Utah, eight hun¬ 
dred and thirty miles from San Francisco, one 
thousand and four miles from Omaha, but four 
thousand nine hundred and five feet above the 
level of the sea, he held a sledge hammer of solid 
silver to whose handle was fastened wires affording 
telegraphic communication with the principal cities 
of the United States. Telegraphic business was 
suspended for the time far and wide. The last 
tie, a masterpiece of California laurel, with silver 
plates appropriately inscribed, was put in place, 
and the last rail laid by the two companies. The 
last spikes were handed to him, one of gold from his 
state, one of silver from Nevada, and one of iron, 
gold and silver from Arizona. At the first stroke 

Detective 12 


178 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


of noon he struck the gold spike, loosening the 
lightening which told the nation that East and 
West were united. 

^e firmly believed that he heard his unburied 
son’s voice say, though in a dream: “Father, 
don’t say you have nothing to live for. You have 
a great deal to live for. In that dream the uni¬ 
versity of the son’s name was born. It is perfectly 
unique among universities suggesting that first one 
of all in Moorish Spain, to which the Franks 
and Goths went for the earliest common sense and 
secular knowledge. A great mission, as it seems, 
with Moorish courts and gates, and the burial 
chapel of the son central to all; the wide foundation 
teaches that caliphs and caliphates, the architects, 
the very race may die, but the things of beauty 
they created are joys forever. 

He gave to it the Palo Alto estate of seventy- 
three hundred acres, the Vina ranche of five thou¬ 
sand acres, and the Gridley ranche of twenty-one 
thousand acres. The magnitude of the gift ex¬ 
ceeds anything in history. Such munificence and 
philanthropy are unparalleled. The aggregate 
value of the estate and money was twenty millions 
of dollars, and the valuable properties which con¬ 
stitute the grant have largely increased since it 
was made, and will continue to increase for many 
years to come. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


179 


Senator Stanford was also deeply Interested 
in the development of the agriculture and manu¬ 
factures of his adopted state. His Palo Alto stock 
farm was known throughout the world, and his 
fortune was conservatively estimated at fifty million 
dollars. 


CHAPTER VI. 


Two mixed trains were operated over the new ex¬ 
tension of the Rock Island road, between Ninnekah 
and Harrisonia, Texas. These mixed trains were 
composed of freight cars, baggage, express and 
passenger cars, one train going East and the other 
West each day. 

Beside the two mixed trains, the road operated 
three stock trains which carried nearly five thou¬ 
sand head of cattle a day, to the yards of Kansas 
City, Chicago and Omaha, and but for the pasture 
lands of this vast Indian country, the great pack¬ 
ing houses of these three cities would vanish like 
a dream. 

Several million dollars a year is paid by the 
stock raisers to the different Indian tribes, for the 
land upon which their vast cattle herds roam, and 
it is not an infrequent thing to see a white man 
who entered that country as an adventurer, mar¬ 
ried to an Indian woman—perhaps an only daughter 
of some Indian chief—who inherited from her 
father, thousands of acres of land. 

When my assistants reached Ninnekah, I in- 
180 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE l8l 

structed each of them to cover a passenger car, and 
make a full and careful inspection report of the 
service rendered by the conductors on the newly 
opened division. The first conductor whom we 
were to check up was young Irving Hall, who had 
been on the road for the past two months, since 
closing his labors with the Pullman Car company, 
and I instructed my operatives to give the young 
man’s work a careful inspection as well as the 
benefit of all doubts. 

Conductor Hall’s train started out promptly on 
time and was composed of a motley assembly of 
passengers, nearly half of whom were laborers fur¬ 
nished by the employment agencies of the different 
cities, and who were going to work on the exten¬ 
sion of that road, as shovelers, teamsters, track 
layers, pile drivers or bridge builders, on their way 
through northern Texas. 

These passengers traveled under the care of a 
foreman, who carried a pass for thirty-five laborers 
from Chicago, but upon reaching the works, found 
he had but sixteen men with him, the absent num¬ 
ber having deserted in the different towns along 
the road, without as much as thanking their bene¬ 
factor for a free ride. This condition of affairs 
was of almost weekly occurrence, and thousands 
of men were brought into that country every year 


182 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

as railroad laborers, many of whom remained, 
while some became “globe trotters,” others cow¬ 
boys, hunters or ranchmen, and a few returned to 
the haunts and slums of their former life. 

One of the most interesting stations along the 
road was Suggs, named after two German brothers 
who tramped into that country after emigrating 
from Germany in 1870, and began cattle raising. 
Their herds at this time numbered one hundred and 
twenty thousand head, and their average shipment 
was three train loads of stock weekly, during the 
fall and early winter, each train consisting of thirty 
cars, with twenty-eight head in each car. It cost 
two thousand dollars a train for transportation to 
Chicago, where each load would sell for from 
twelve to fifteen thousand dollars a train. 

It was at this cattle ranch Miss Emma Hutchin¬ 
son, the famous female cattle herder, first com¬ 
menced her interesting career, until now there is 
hardly a state or territory west of the Mississippi 
where she is not known, while by her feats of 
horsemanship in exhibitions in the East, she has 
gained a national reputation as one of the best lady 
riders in America. 

Born in La Cross, Wis., she commenced herding 
for the Suggs Brothers when a mere girl, and for 
thirteen years has ridden the western range—a 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 183 

complete female vaquero. Since coming to the 
West, she has been regularlry in the stock busi¬ 
ness, and has practically lived, eaten and slept in the 
saddle, as it is necessary for those to do who go 
into the business of rounding up the troublesome 
Texas steers as a means of a livelihood. For weeks 
and months she has ridden the range alone, far 
from any human companionship, and endured all 
the privations and hardships of the frontier, ex¬ 
posed to death or captivity at the hands of the 
blood -thirsty Sioux, or that worse death and hope¬ 
less captivity which comes to the one far from help, 
taken down by fever or laid low by disabling ac¬ 
cident. Through all these Miss Hutchinson has 
passed without serious mishaps, and except for 
the tan of an out-door life and the flash of an eye 
which never knew fear, she would pass as a quiet 
and withal cultured young woman of the West, 
who has been reared beneath the paternal roof 
tree. 

Miss Hutchinson has made many long rides, but 
the longest as yet was the one in Montana, several 
years ago, when with a single string of horses she 
covered four hundred and fifty miles in seven days. 
During much of this ride, the range was heavy 
and the streams swollen by rain, and for four of 
the nights and days she rode and slept shelterless 
jn a constant storm. 


184 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


Among the Sioux Indians she has a great repu¬ 
tation, and many is the brave who has found him¬ 
self badly beaten and his boasted pony badly blown 
after he had tried a race after the “lightening 
squaw.” Miss Hutchinson is pronounced to be 
one of the best off-hand judges of horseflesh in the 
West, and given a bunch of horses, can usually 
pick the winner for a race. On challenge she has 
beaten the finest racers of the Crow Indians, and 
on one occasion drew down the praises of “Curly,” 
Custer’s scout, by distancing his boasted flyers. 

She has frequently ridden ten mile races, in 
which the horses were changed every half mile, 
and has come under the wire ahead in the majority 
of cases. 

In the cowboys’ tournaments held occasionally 
in the West, Miss Hutchinson often appears and 
will mount the worst “outlaw” bucker in corral. 
She is never thrown, and during the wildest 
plunges and pitching of the bronco, keeps her seat 
with easy grace. Dr. Carver, in whose tournaments 
she sometimes rides, says he can do no better him¬ 
self. 

Miss Hutchinson, when in town, rides on an 
ordinary side saddle, but when out rounding up 
stock, or driving them on the trail, uses a regula¬ 
tion man’s stock-saddle and rides astride. For 
this she uses the divided skirt. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 185 

It is not only as a rider that Miss Hutchinson 
excels, but in handling the lasso and using the 
rifle and pistol she is altogether at home. 

In the care of herself and her horse during long 
journeys she aims to eat only the simplest food, and 
instead of stimulants drinks only milk, while oats 
is the bulk of her pony’s feed, with a very little 
hay. Her horse is thoroughly rubbed down every 
night, and if she has any reason to think that he will 
be “salted” or in any other way disabled by contest¬ 
ants or any other ill minded person, she will sleep 
in the stall with her horse. Her usual mode Is to 
get out on the road in the morning as early as she 
can see, and ride until ten or eleven o’clock when 
she rests and refreshes her horse for three or four 
hours. Taking the road again, she will ride until 
dark. She never rides during the night if she can 
avoid it, as it makes her horse nervous. Her 
regular weight is only ninety pounds, and with her 
saddle and blankets will not exceed one hundred 
and twenty pounds. 

The first check which my operatives made on 
conductor Hall’s car was not at all satisfactory, 
owing to the constant stopping of the train along 
the route to unload freight for the benefit of 
the road hands who were constantly making 
changes in their road-bed. Whenever the train 


1 86 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

would stop there would be a number of strange 
hands get in or out of the car, who travel on their 
uniform. This made it entirely impossible for my 
operatives to get a correct check on the number 
of passengers carried over this trip. 

Mixed trains are generally handled by two con¬ 
ductors, one for the freight and the other for the 
passenger cars. The mixed trains on this road 
were supplied with a mess car in which the freight- 
hands usually ate, drank and slept, and it was noth¬ 
ing unusual to see a freight car finished off as a 
kitchen with all the necessary cooking utensils, 
sink, pantry and a long table and windows on each 
side of the car, which the “guests” styled their 
railroad “hotel.” 

A mess car usually goes along with the work 
train, which is run for the accommodation of the 
workmen who were engaged in the building and 
repairing of the main line. No road in the far 
West pays more attention to their road-bed than 
the Rock Island system, who make it a point to 
have theirties rest on gravel or coarse sand, when 
it can be secured. This is done for the purpose of 
preventing expansion and contraction at different 
seasons of the year, when the freezing and thawing 
of loose soil makes so many tracks uneven and un¬ 
safe for fast trains. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


I8 7 


Being impossible for my operatives to correctly 
distinguish the paid passengers from the work- 
hands of the road, great care was observed in their 
reports to mention these facts and that it was im¬ 
possible for them to make a correct check on pas¬ 
senger cars No. 160 and 278 on the trip between 
Ninnekah and Harrisonia. 


CHAPTER VII. 


Alice Sherbrook was possessed of that strength 
of body and mind, which is the product and de¬ 
velopment of western character and ability. That 
makes the most of small things and elevates great 
souls into life. They at first may be as untrimmed 
and untutored as their native surroundings from 
which they eventually assimilate a strength of 
mind and firmness of nerve which often places them 
among our intelligent teachers, most sensible wo¬ 
men and often great social leaders. 

The moral is, that a girl who is dressed to-day 
in homespun, and who is thirsting for a chance to 
reach out to a larger life, and who can snowball, 
drive cows or ride horseback, and “lick any boy of 
her size,” in the school, is a product of our western 
institutions, that we need be proud of. We could 
name a dozen such girls of our own acquaintance 
who were regular romps in the state of Michigan in 
their girlhood, but who to-day are doing more than 
any others, perhaps, for the improvement of our 
schools, the regulation of our institutions and even 
for the leading of the social world. 

m 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 189 

They were not born in a large city, but they 
have caught up with the girls who were, and when 
they marry smart young men it is almost certain 
before they reach thirty-five years of age, they are 
in the advance of social life, and have the physical 
strength and strong common sense to maintain 
themselves in the positions in which they may be 
placed. Said a widow lady of middle age to the 
writer, “My son is the commander of one of the 
largest vessels that crosses the Atlantic, and once 
made the fastest time on record. ,, This lady was 
once a country girl. To-day she lives in one of 
our largest cities, but her rural girlhood has never 
been forgotten, and the commander of a great 
steamship has in him the nerve and power that 
came to his mother from our western prairies, 
among people who are ever ready to meet the try¬ 
ing ordeals of life. 

Our western women are timid when peril is far 
away, as it approaches their daring arises to meet 
it. Plebeian women, in desperate exigencies, are 
as fearless as the haughtiest patricians. Rank or 
no rank, they are alike, equal to the sternest ob¬ 
ligation. Honest men who have seen woman tried 
again and again are eager to admit that she holds 
a courage that they cannot command. They are 
not brave to do wrong, to speak evil, to injure hu- 


I go THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

manity, as men so often are; but in the cause of 
good, of advancement, of pure unselfishness, they 
parallel Csesar or Lincoln. 

Although young and inexperienced, the shrewd 
and penetrating eye of Alice Sherbrook saw in young 
Irving Hall many of those noble characteristics 
and traits which always meet with approval in the 
eyes of either sex. He was young, intelligent and 
handsome, and although a gentle dreamer, she was 
not so blind but what she could see that he pos¬ 
sessed many of the noble qualities of her own an¬ 
cestors, who forded rivers and hewed forests that 
they might enjoy the freedom of the West. 

The shock which she endured when it became 
known to her that she could no longer meet the 
object of her desire, was, as may be expected, a 
trial severe and humiliating, however she was con¬ 
scious that her affections had not been misplaced, 
that somehow or somewhere in the impenetrable 
future all would come well. 

Two months of every winter the Sherbrooks spent 
in New York. Plenty of pretty toilets, and that 
strange, inexplicable gift of attractiveness were not 
a bad endowment for any girl. So Alice up to the 
present date could hardly be said to have made 
much acquaintance with actual suffering. 

This afternoon she came plunging down the 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE igi 

broad staircase—I am aware that plunging is an 
unfavorable mode of progression for a heroine, 
but she was in haste, and was not very stately in 
her movements. 

“I am going now, papa,” he said. 

“Going where, my dear?” calmly. 

“To Marion Cocpers; I told you all about it this 
morning,” a little impatiently. “A boating-party 
up the river. Mrs. Cooper is going with us.” 

“It is quite impossible for you to do that for 
Harry Joyce and his sister are at the Bryant, and 
are coming here to-night.” 

“The old—fossil,” she said harmlessly. Then 
a half smile came about the rigid lips, and some¬ 
thing like color into her face. “Has he intentions, 
do you know?” 

Her father bristled a little, but did not speak. 

“Oh, very well,” she said, turning away. “I 
might as well go and dress before dinner then, I 
suppose.” 

“She took it better than I thought she would,” 
thought Sherbrookto himself. “Alice is like—her 
father—sometimes. ” 

When Alice called Harry Joyce an old fossil, 
she did him less than justice. He was thirty-six 
years old and unmarried. That is by no means 
sufficient cause for relegating a man to the fossil- 


192 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


iferous period, but to twenty, thirty-six is an an¬ 
tiquity. And certainly about Mr. Joyce there was 
a sort of fixedness that might have been life once, 
but certainly was not now. He was courteous in 
the extreme, but his courtesy was cut and dried. 

Mr. Joyce met Alice for the first time in New 
York the winter before. He was the only surviv¬ 
ing member of a very wealthy family, and for 
years had been engaged in the banking business in 
New York City, and was the owner of an elegant 
mansion at Irvington on the Hudson. There had 
always seemed to him plenty of time in the future 
for settling himself with a wife, and as yet the 
favored damsel had not presented herself. But 
that winter he had heard one of his nieces remark 
flippantly: — 

“Uncle Harry is getting to be a confirmed old 
bachelor. They are much worse than old maids. ” 

It set him to thinking. It was like a flash of 
light on facts, and about that time he met Alice 
Sherbrook. 

He had his ideals, of course, and certainly the 
young lady did not realize one of them. She was 
not a stately, dignified creature, invested with the 
importance of wealth of her own. She was slight 
and quick of gesture and speech. More than that, 
she met his staid and solemn advances with an in- 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 193 

difference that first amazed and then piqued him. 
He intended his manner to show that he regarded 
her with especial favor, and he supposed she would 
be impressed thereby. 

Harry Joyce was now certain that he had met 
his fate, he was her constant companion during 
her stay in New York and, was growing more 
and more interested in her. 

On the day following Mr. Joyce’s visit to the 
Sherbrooks, Mr. Sherbrook, in conversation with 
his daughter, said laughingly: “By the way, my 
dear, Mr. Joyce is very impressive in his attentions 
to you, and it would be wrong, indeed, for any 
girl to let such a leading of Providence go unim¬ 
proved through carelessness.” 

“Do you mean that I am to marry—an old man 
like him ?” 

“Old man; why, Alice, Mr. Joyce is a very rich 
man.” 

“He can’t buy me.” 

“What are you going t*> do. What future have 
you planned for yourself, may I inquire?” 

“I haven’t planned. But I suppose I will fall 
m love with a man some day and marry him. 

“I am particularly desirous that you treat Mr. 
Joyce with politeness and respect.” 

“Oh, certainly,” she replied and left the room. 

Detective 13 


1^4 


THE PULLMAN CAP DETECTIVE 


About a month had passed since Hall had been 
discharged from the service of the Pullman Com¬ 
pany, and Alice had heard nothing of her manly 
lover; could it be that he had forgotten her? per¬ 
haps he had met some other whose charms were 
more attractive to him, or was he despondent 
over his misfortune? if the latter was the cause of 
his silence, she would find out where he was, and 
no barrier should prevent their meeting. v 

The summer was now wearing away, and this 
afternoon she was alone in the precisely ordered 
library. Moved by some sudden impulse for which 
she could find no earthly reason she crossed the 
room and tried the lid of her father’s desk. For 
the first time since she was a child that piece of 
property was unlocked. And there under some 
papers lay two letters addressed to herself, they 
had not been opened, she took them in her hand 
and saw that both were post marked Harrisonia, 
Texas There could be no doubt about it now, 
they were from her lover. 

“Now then,” she said aloud with a tone of tri¬ 
umph in her voice. “I have solved the mystery.” 

That night’s post took a letter to Mr. Irving 
Hall, Harrisonia, Texas: — 

“Your letters are in father’s desk. If you have 
anything special to say, you may write again, and 



Miss Sherbrook salves a mystery- 


Pullman Car Detective, 













































































































































































































- 






1 

























































































































































































































































































THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


195 


address your letter to A Stirling. I am in the 
good graces of the distributing clerk, and will get 
it.” 


CHAPTER VIII. 


As Green and Clark were the two operatives who 
checked Conductor Irving Hall’s cars from Nin- 
nekah to Harrisonia, I instructed them to lay over 
at the latter place for thirty-six hours and return 
with Conductor Gray, who was running the sister 
train with Hall on this division. 

Lucas and I checked Gray’s train from Ninne- 
kah to Harrisonia, and met operatives Clark and 
Green who were to take Gray back, while Lucas 
and myself were waiting to return with Hall. 
Thirty-six hours after arriving in Harrisonia, we re¬ 
traced out steps, this time with Conductor Hall. 
Lucas entered the smoking car, while I covered the 
rear coach. 

The first duty of a railroad detective is to note 
the make up of the train, after which he is to get 
the number of the car which he is instructed to 
check, and which is printed in figures on the inside 
and outside of each coach. He must then note 
the number of seats on each side, and in reporting 
cash passengers, he must always state on which 
side of the car the passenger was located, and 
196 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


197 


how many seats from the front door. He must 
also state as near as he can what kind of money 
was used in the payment of this fare—silver or 
paper currency. He must also be emphatic in his 
report whether the conductor issued a cash fare 
receipt or not. 

Hall, whom I had not seen for nearly four 
months, did not show any sign of having recog¬ 
nized me. He was performing his duty with the ut¬ 
most care and courtesy, and appeared to be, some¬ 
what tanned and soiled from the effects of the 
country through which he was traveling. 

Texas is noted for its black, waxy soil, which 
covers a red clay earth, and from this red colored 
clay the waters of the Red River are continually 
soiled, which gives that stream its peculiar name. 
The Red River rises in the western extremity of 
Texas, and like many other rivers in the United 
States, is used as the dividing line between Okla¬ 
homa and the “Lone Star State.” Crossing into 
the southern extremity of Arkansas and thence 
through the state of Louisiana, and Empties into 
the Mississippi river, one hundred miles above New 
Orleans. 

The new iron bridge of the Rock Island rail¬ 
road, crossing this river just as we are leaving 
Harrisonia for Oklahoma, is one of the finest water 


I98 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

girdles in the West, and surpasses in its engineer¬ 
ing skill any of the great tressels that span any 
river in the world, and the view which we enjoyed 
for miles up and down this crimson stream is more 
startling in its wild grandeur than anything of the 
kind we ever saw. 

Upon our trip from Harrisonia to Ninnekah, we 
noted twenty-eight cash fares, eighteen in the 
smoking-room and ten in the rear coach, for all of 
which Conductor Hall had issued a cash fare re¬ 
ceipt. These passengers were mostly men who 
were engaged in the cattle business, either as 
herders or speculators, and who are always ready 
for a chance to work the conductor for all there is 
in it. 

The train reached Ninnekah at one o’clock that 
afternoon,where we found an excellent dinner 
being served at the railroad eating-house, owned 
and operated by the Rock Island road, for the ac¬ 
commodation of all who travel on their line. The 
service was perfect in every respect. Among the 
deserts beir\g served was ice-cream, in a country 
where ice was never known to form. The water 
which was used on the table was carried from 
Rush Springs, some twenty miles down the road. 
This water is dumped into a large tank, and 
used also to supply their engines as well as 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


199 


drinking water for the surrounding country. The 
waters of this spring sparkle up from the interior 
of the earth, and it is a common thing to see peo ¬ 
ple riding fifteen or twenty miles to slacken their 
thirst at this fountain. 

At two o’clock that afternoon we continued east 
over the old section to inspect the train service 
toward Kansas City. One of my operatives left 
the train at Kingfisher, another at Caldwell, a third 
at Wellington, and I continued the journey to 
Marion, where I arrived shortly after midnight. 
This broke up the trail, and left no connection by 
which we could be identified as being engaged in 
the same line of work. 

It was while engaged on this trip, from Ninne- 
kah east, that I detected by the merest accident 
that a conductor was not punching all the tickets 
which he collected. All railroad conductors are 
supposed to leave their punch mark in tickets pass¬ 
ing through their hands, and any ticket which is 
collected and not punched or cancelled,, is as good 
as new and can be sold again and used. 

During my long experience as a detective of 
railroad conductors, I have on many occasions 
found these men collecting tickets and mailing 
them to some railroad ticket broker, and receiving 
regular prices for whatever tickets they did not 


200 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


cancel. I have found this particularly the case on 
roads running into Chicago, and it is nothing strange 
after a celebration in that city, such as a political 
convention, to'find the ticket-brokers* offices flooded 
with hundreds if not thousands’ of dollars’ worth of 
tickets, many of which had been received through 
he mails, accompanied with a private mark by 
which each conductor was known. 

I therefore instructed my operatives to make 
memoranda of the number and forms of all tickets 
they should buy, and furnish me with a list of these 
numbers, which were at once mailed by me to 
General Ticket Agent Mansfield, at Kansas City, 
with instructions to observe if the tickets bearing 
these numbers should be returned to his office. 

There were two kinds of tickets in use at the 
different railroad stations along the Rock Island at 
this time; one was known as the paste-board ticket, 
so universally used by all roads, and the other was 
known as the book ticket. This book-ticket was 
made out in the same form as a bank check, and 
after being detached from the book, left a stub, 
which contained the number, form and price of the 
ticket, together with the name of the station from 
which it was issued, and its destination. 

Upon receipt of my letter, Ticket Agent Mans¬ 
field sent out a general instruction to all ticket 


THE PULLMAN CAA DETECTIVE 


201 


agents, that the book ticket only should be used, 
until further orders. This was done for the pur¬ 
pose of holding a record of all tickets sold in the 
office from which they were issued. 

After the issuing of this order, checking was for 
the time abandoned, and my operatives rode in 
all directions; the only instructions I gave them to 
follow was simply to note the number and form 
of each ticket they bought, its destination, together 
with the price paid for it, and mail these items of 
information at once to General Ticket Agent Mans¬ 
field, at Kansas City, and then use the ticket, and 
when the conductor was taking it up, notice if he 
punched it. 

During the next week my operatives purchased 
and used over a thousand dollars’ worth of tickets, 
and rode in all directions, almost continually night 
and day, and after that time I began to get a clew 
to a conspiracy that was being carried on by a 
certain number of conductors in connection with 
a ticket brokers-association, located in the City 
of Wichita. Upon receipt of this information, I 
called off my detectives, for fear that their con¬ 
stant traveling with the various men we were test¬ 
ing, might subject them to an acquaintance that 
would not be favorable to my success against this 
organized combination, which I saw was likely to 
turn out to be of very large proportion. 


202 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


After talking the matter over with Ticket Agent 
Mansfield at Kansas City, that gentleman heartily 
coincided with all my plans for the detection and 
breaking up of this combination of ticket stealers 
and ticket scalpers. I therefore decided to take 
up my residence for the next few months in 
Wichita, or until I could get such information as 
would enable me to run down and eliminate from 
the service the men who were instrumental in 
defrauding their roads. 


CHAPTER IX. 


Every one who has visited Wichita, located 
on the Arkansas river, and traversed by five differ¬ 
ent railroads, has*seen an example of a city, sold to 
Eastern capitalists on paper, for enormous and 
fabulous prices. Thousands of dollars in money 
from the banking centers of the East, was for years 
squandered in this vicinity, with the recklessness 
of mendicants. 

As the different great railroad systems traversed 
across the plains of Kansas, eastern people flocked 
to that state, firm in the belief that they had come 
into another land of Canaan, flowing with milk 
and honey. 

The locomotive has justly been called the modern 
John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness, and 
bringing light into dark places, for wherever that 
great preacher of the nineteenth century travels, 
whether over mountains or across prairies, the tide 
of human intellect, turns its face, and we feel jus¬ 
tified in saying that if the countless millions of 
money spent in sending missionaries into foreign 
countries was used in building railroads instead, 
303 


204 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


the Gospel of the new law might have advanced 
side by side with science to the better advantage 
of each. For no other power but the locomotive 
could have turned the great American desert into a 
garden that blossoms like the rose, within the short 
space of a lifetime. 

Aside from what may be said of the soil of this 
state, it possesses nothing either in climate, min¬ 
eral resources, water power, manufacturing enter¬ 
prises, or health resorts that bespeak for it a great 
future. 

This condition of affairs soon brought the rail¬ 
road question prominently before the people as the 
only means of earning a livelihood after the crop 
failures which for several years caused thousands 
of farmers to abandon the land that had been so 
long to them an Utopian dream. 

In their discontent the people of Kansas .ooxed 
in all directons for the cause of their failures, and 
found the railroads of that state the only tangible 
clew, upon which they could fasten their talons. 
An account of the different schemes, concocted by 
designing conductors to get the best of a system 
which had opened up this new country to them, 
would fill volumes, but this one only I will recite 
as an example. 

Upon receiving instructions from General Ticket 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


205 


Agent Mansfield, I proceeded direct to Wichita, 
and after a few days operations in that city, suc¬ 
ceeded in discovering a den of sharpers who, for a 
number of years, had made sad havoc with the 
different lines of railroads, as they entered that 
state. 

It was a ticket brokers’ office known as the Union 
Ticket Brokers’ Association, which occupied finely 
arranged apartments on the first floor of the Hotel 
Normandy, and was operated by an intelligent look¬ 
ing man of about fifty years of age, who answered 
to the name of Alexander Belmont. Calling upon 
him one day, I explained to him that I wanted to 
purchase a number of tickets for myself and a 
party of friends who were about to depart through 
Texas for the Gulf of Mexico, and as our party 
was traveling for pleasure instead of business, the 
question as to which road we should rail it over 
was of small consideration. 

Being a man of sharp, intelligent, nervous per¬ 
ception, he informed me with a smile and a wink 
of his eye, that he was master of the situation, 
and could furnish me with any amount of tickets 
on whatever road my friends and I desired to 
travel. Going into an adjoining room, he brought 
out transportation over every road running toward 
the Gulf, among which was cardboard, book and 


206 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


mileage tickets. As I saw this man could flood 
me with an article I did not want to buy I raised 
the objection that I could use only the mileage 
tickets, but the handwriting on these made them 
dangerous to handle, at this remark the agile broker 
answered my objection by saying that he used a 
fluid by which he could easily erase any signature 
and substitute my name in its place, which was a 
states’ prison offense. 

I was so struck with the cool audacity of this 
man publicly offering to make himself a candi¬ 
date for the penitentiary, that I commenced to 
open my eyes, and think who it could be that I was 
dealing with. I was not long in determining, how¬ 
ever, that this was the same man who in 1880 ap¬ 
peared in San Francisco, and for a long time had 
baffled my detectives to connect him with his 
crimes, so as to bring him to the justice which he 
so richly deserved. 

In an interview which was had with Belmont at 
this time it was learned that he had at one time 
been an extensive merchant in Australia, and fail¬ 
ing in that, came to this country and engaged in 
mercantile pursuits in South America. This like¬ 
wise proved to be a failure and finding that legiti¬ 
mate dealings were unsuccessful, he adopted the 
different kinds of criminality, which finally resulted 
in his capture and imprisonment. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


207 


For some time the passengers on the Pacific 
Coast Steamships, running between San Francisco 
and the Sandwich Islands, complained of missing 
different articles, and all expressed the belief that 
they had been stolen, but no information could be 
discovered that would lead to the detection of the 
thief or the recovery of the articles. 

On the twentieth of May, 1880, when the steam¬ 
er “Queen” sailed from San Francisco for Hon¬ 
olulu, on the passenger list appeared the name of 
Leon Brazeau, having made several trips before he 
was well and favorably known by the officers of 
the ship and by many of the passengers whom he 
had met in the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. 

He was a Cuban by birth, and a fine linguist, 
speaking several languages, and having traveled 
extensively, made him a pleasant and agreeable 
companion among his fellow passengers, admired 
by all with whom he associated. Not a word of 
suspicion was ever directed toward him as the per¬ 
petrator of the robberies, while entirely innocent 
persons were looked upon with suspicion. 

Among the passengers was Mrs. Lester, a very 
wealthy widow lady, whose home was in Monterey, 
who becoming infatuated with the handsome Cu¬ 
ban, earnestly requested him to pay her a visit upon 
his return, and she disclosed to him the fact that 


208 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


around her neck she carried thres beautiful diamond 
rings, secured with a cord, as she said to protect 
them from being stolen. 

On the following morning just as the vessel was 
about reaching port, Mrs. Lester gave the alarm 
that she had been robbed of her diamond rings, 
while several other passengers also found to their 
consternation that they were minus considerable 
wealth; some lost watches, others money, while a 
few reported the loss of clothing. 

Mr. Brazeau was according to his own assertion 
a loser, but he took his loss more calmly than the 
rest, and helped to sympathize serenely with the 
afflicted ones, and was loud in his declamations 
against the thief. 

The captain ordered that no one should be al¬ 
lowed to land until all trunks had been searched, 
and of course Brazeau’s with the rest; but, how¬ 
ever, nothing was found that would in the least 
way throw suspicion on him, so he was allowed to 
go on his way, rejoicing in his own mind that he 
had again eluded the wily captain and officers. 

After a short stay abroad, he again turned his 
attentions to the steamships, this time taking 
passage on the “Alaska”. But he had overplayed 
his part, and suspicion at once fell upon him, for 
upon arriving at San Francisco, his trunks were 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 20g 

again searched, this time by one of my detectives, 
and it was disclosed that a separate piece was in 
the bottom of the trunks, and there was found the 
stolen treasure that he had been collecting on his 
travels. He was at once arrested for the theft, but in 
some unaccountable way was never convicted for his 
crime, and was allowed his liberty. Nothing more 
was heard of Brazeau, for some time, not until the 
latter part of September of the same year, when 
there was a daring robbery committed on the Missis¬ 
sippi river steamer “Creole,” and like the others, 
no clew could be found to the thief. 

Upon inquiring into the particulars of this rob¬ 
bery, I found that it was conducted the same as 
the others on the Pacific steamships, sailing be¬ 
tween San Francisco and Honolulu, and in Poking 
over the list of passengers, I discovered the name 
of Alexander Belmont, and at once came to the 
conclusion that Belmont was no other than Leon 
Brazeau. 

But all trace of the thief had then disappeared 
and nothing more was heard or seen of Belmont 
or Brazeau, until I accidentally found him as re¬ 
lated above in the role of a Ticket Broker. 


Detective 14 


CHAPTER X. 


After receiving all the information I could from 
Mr Belmont, the ticket broker, I bought what is 
known as a piece of a mileage ticket, with the 
signature of Frank Kimball to whom it was first 
sold, removed with the fluid used by Mr. Belmont 
for that purpose, and the name of Henry Semans, 
one of my traveling companions, by the way, 
written in its place. 

It is the duty of a railroad conductor to punch 
and cancel all tickets which he collects, in the pres¬ 
ence of the passenger from whom they are collected. 
II a ticket is not cancelled it can be sold and resold 
again with but slight chances of detection 

During my conversation with Belmont, he offered 
for sale hundreds of tickets which had been stamped 
and soiled by use, but had never been cancelled. 
These tickets had no doubt passed through the con¬ 
ductor’s hands, and instead of being cancelled by 
them, had been dishonestly placed with this broker 
to be resold. 

I saw it would not do to arrest Belmont, until 
I could get further information as to who the con¬ 
do 



THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 2n 

ductors were that were supplying him with these 
tickets I therefore decided that my only course 
would be to open a ticket broker s office in Wichita, 
and conduct it on the same plan. This I accord¬ 
ingly did, and hung out a shingle, bearing the 
name of Travelers’ Cut Rate Ticket Office, and 
placed one of my operatives, Charles Wilson, in 
charge with an office-boy and bookkeeper as as¬ 
sistants. 

Wilson’s first move was to secure the services of 
one William Gregory, who had been a conductor 
for a number of years on the Sante Fe, but who 
had not been working for that system for some 
time. The extensive acquaintance which Gregory 
enjoyed with the conductors on the different roads, 
made it an easy matter for him to work into their 
good graces. 

Operative Wilson talked interestingly to Gregory 
about their future prospects, and flourishing a large 
sum of money in Gregory’s presence, informed 
that gentleman that the financial standing of the 
firm of Ticket Brokers whom he represented, was 
unlimited, and if they found him to be the right 
man to work the “Cons,” money would be no ob¬ 
ject. This nearly set Gregory wild with excite¬ 
ment, his fund of oaths and adjectives were also 
unlimited, and with the glittering prospect be- 


212 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECITVE 


fore him of entering upon a career that was to be 
a great financial success, he informed my operative 
that he knew of over sixty conductors who were at 
that time receiving a regular weekly salary from 
Ticket Brokers in Chicago, Philadelphia, New 
York, Cincinnati, Wichita, and other cities, for 
keeping them regularly supplied with uncancelled 
tickets, and with a string of wild western adject¬ 
ives, declared that when he got on the road, he 

would show them --City sharpers they could 

not have all the business 

Wilson appeared greatly surprised when Greg¬ 
ory mentioned Wichita as being one of the cities 
that was being supplied by the conductors, and 
asked that gentleman if he was sure that it was be¬ 
ing carried on,to any extent by the other ticket 
broker, Belmont. Gregory laughed heartily at Wil¬ 
son’s seeming ignorance, and asked my operative 
if he had been long in the employ of his firm as a 
ticket broker. To which the wily detective an¬ 
swered that he had, but did not want to show his 
hand too soon, until he should find out if he (Greg¬ 
ory) was all right. 

Whereupon Gregory pointed his finger, and said: 
“Wilson, do you see any green in that eye?” 

Wilson smiled approvingly, and replied: “If I 
had, you would not have been the man for this 
work. ” 



THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


' 213 


On the following day, Gregory left for Topeka, 
Atchinson and Kansas City, carrying with him sev¬ 
eral hundred dollars in money furnished him by Wil¬ 
son, with instructions to make prompt returns of 
all tickets bought, with the name of the conductors 
from whom they were purchased, and through fear 
that there might be any mistake happen in the ac¬ 
counts between the two men, Wilson told Gregory 
he had better keep a memorandum of the place 
and time of day where each ticket was bought, so 
they could have it for future reference. 

From the second or third day, Wilson began to 
receive letters from Gregory constantly, and after 
the first week by every mail. These letters con¬ 
tained from one to four or five tickets, all of which 
could be easily sold again, and which cost Gregory 
a nominal price. 

With each ticket would come the punch mark of 
the conductor from whom it was secured. The 
punch mark of every conductor .must be different, 
such as a shield, diamond, star, boot or spear, and 
by this mark each conductor is known, and in 
Gregory’s memorandum the conductor’s name was 
placed opposite to his punch mark, which was used 
as a key to the secret. 

After two or three weeks Gregory dropped into 
Wichita to see Wrison; he had during his absence 


214 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


traveled nearly three thousand miles, and in all 
this time his car fare had amounted to less than 
twenty dollars—not one cent a mile. As the price 
of travel on these roads is from two to three cents 
a mile, it will be seen that many of the conductors 
must have carried him over their run free of 
charge. From many of these conductors it is pos¬ 
sible he secured a number of tickets at a time for 
which he paid them cash. 

My principal object in getting this scheme in 
working order was for the purpose of eventually 
weaving a net work around Belmont, so that I 
could break up his nefarious business of selling 
these stolen tickets which he had on hand at all 
times, in such great abundance. I therefore in¬ 
structed Wilson to try if possible and connect 
Gregory with Belmont, in a similar transaction as 
the one he had been working for us. 

I had succeeded in establishing the proof that 
these tickets were first stolen by the counductors* 
and instead of cancelling them, they had turned 
them over to this Belmont, for whatever they could 
get, and were re-sold by him for half price. I had 
succeeded in securing the name of each conductor 
who was implicated as far as it was possible for 
me to do, and before giving any alarm, I wanted 
to secure evidence against Belmont. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 21 5 

With my previous knowledge of this man, I was 
determined not to trifle with him this time, but to 
get proof of such a firm and reliable character that 
it would be impossible for him to again escape 
from the justice of the law, which he had so often 
scoffed at and defied. 

I further instructed Wilson to be liberal in his 
praise and pay for Gregory’s services, and after es¬ 
tablishing himself in his confidence to suggest to 
him the propriety of offering to work for Mr. Bel¬ 
mont as it looked very 'much as if he could keep 
both firms well supplied with goods, and I further 
instructed my operative that additional evidence 
against the conductors would be simply accumula¬ 
tive, and only prolong the period of their depreda¬ 
tions, and to bend all his efforts towards securing 
evidence against Belmont. 

The wily detective performed his work well, and 
after paying Gregory handsomely for his services, 
advised him to call on Belmont, and give him a 
full history of his success. Wilson further advised 
Gregory that he should ascertain who was Bel¬ 
mont’s agents, as it would be wise for him to know 
all parties engaged in the same line, so as to pro¬ 
tect and help each they, when either were in need 
of assistance. 

On the following morning, Gregory called at 


216 the PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

Belmo*.. s office and offered to place a number of 
tickets in that gentleman’s hands, on sale. The 
amiable and loquacious Mr. Belmont was perfectly 
willing to do what he could to assist Gregory, the 
only objection he could see was that he had so 
many agents now in his employ, and tickets were 
pouring in upon him so fast, that he did not think 
he was able to handle such a volume of business. 
After further parleying between the two men, 
however, it was agreed that Gregory should go on 
the road, and not only procure goods from con¬ 
ductors, but to frequent the different hotels in the 
leading cities and towns, and sell tickets to guests 
whom he would find stopping there. 

This latter information startled me, as _ saw that 
Belmont was broadening out in his sphere of ac¬ 
tion, and that every day I delayed, meant a loss 
of thousands of dollars to the different railroad 
systems in whose interest I was working. I there¬ 
fore instructed Wilson that he must secure from 
Belmont, through Gregory, the names and ad¬ 
dresses of his agents, so I could break up the com¬ 
bination by arresting the whole gang. 

After several days of incessant labor, Detective 
Wilson succeeded in getting the names and ad¬ 
dresses from Belmont through Gregory, of six con¬ 
ductors who had been the prime movers in this 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


217 


ticket stealing conspiracy, and who had kept Bel¬ 
mont supplied with a full line of the “Goods” for 
more than a year, and judging from the amount of 
business that was being carried on, had made large 
sums of money. 

I thereupon, without delay, and in connection 
with the attorneys of the different roads who had 
suffered from this conspiracy, had warrants made 
out and arrested the six conductors, upon the 
charge of stealing, and locked them up in the 
county jail. On the following day I caused the 
arrest of Belmont and Gregory, beside that of my 
two operatives, Wilson, and his bookkeeper, Mc¬ 
Donnell. Wilson and Gregory occupied the same 
cell, while Belmont and McDonnell were also given 
apartments together. 

My object in locking up my two operatives with 
these criminals was for the purpose of securing a 
further confession which could be used as evidence 
in their approaching trial, and to what extent we 
accomplished this object will be told in the suc¬ 
ceeding chapter. 



CHAPTER XI. 


On the following morning after making the ar¬ 
rests, the condition of these prisoners, especially 
some of the conductors, was pitiful to behold, and 
their families who had always maintained a re¬ 
spectable position in the community, were over¬ 
whelmed with mortification and shame. 

The regular salary of these conductors was one 
hundred and fifty dollars a month, which was 
sufficient to keep them and their families in a re¬ 
spectable condition of independence, and they were 
looked upon with respect by the thousands of 
travelers who met them in the discharge of their 
official duty. They had entered the employ of the 
road at a small and moderate salary, and had 
worked their way up to a position of honor and 
trust, which was appreciated and reciprocated by 
scores of their superiors. 

They now sat behind prison bars, meditating 
how, for a small gain, they had dashed from them¬ 
selves the result of many years of toil, persever¬ 
ance and promotion, leaving no other alternative 
218 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


219 


but discharge and disgrace from their present posi¬ 
tion, if not a term of imprisonment. 

The rules followed in the employment depart¬ 
ment of all railroads requires a man seeking employ¬ 
ment from another road, to furnish a proper dis¬ 
charge from the system where he was last em¬ 
ployed. In case this honorable discharge is not 
received by the retiring operative, he is debarred 
from all future employment by any other railroad, 
and must seek a position in some other avocation 
of life. 

In the conversation which passed between Wil¬ 
son and Gregory, while occupying their prison 
cells, during the next two days, they talked freely 
to ea^i other about their operations as ticket 
scalpers and the ex-conductor gave the detective 
jail-bird a full confession of all that passed be¬ 
tween him and Belmont. 

As I had used Gregory simply as a tool to serve 
the ends of justice in breaking up this conspiracy 
of railroad thieves, and had in every way accom¬ 
plished the work through his assistance, I felt it 
my duty to protect him from any further prosecu¬ 
tion or confinement, and after he had given a full 
statement of his connection with the affair, I had 
him discharged, after seeing he was well recom¬ 
pensed for his trouble. 



220 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


McDonnell pursued the same course with Bel¬ 
mont as Wilson had with Gregory, by endeavoring 
to secure from him a confession. He kept telling 
Belmont that he was going to confess and tell all 
he knew about the matter. 

After continuing in this strain for two days, I had 
the authorities offer McDonnell his liberty in case 
he would make a confession, so as to see what effect 
this change would have on Belmont, who main¬ 
tained a firm reserve, and refused to free himself 
on the subject. 

McDonnell accepted the offer made by the 
authorities, and said he would confess all he knew 
about the matter, whereupon Sheriff Bugbee, and 
State’s Attorney Whittaker, of Wichita went to 
the prison ostensibly for the purpose of taking Mc¬ 
Donnell’s confession. Upon arriving there, the 
sheriff took from his pocket the written confession 
of Gregory and Wilson, in which they implicated 
both Belmont and McDonnell in the conspiracy to 
defraud the railroads, and read it to the pris¬ 
oners. 

After hearing these documents read, McDonnell 
started in and made a clean breast of his connection 
with the conspiracy in the presence of his fellow 
prisoner, who sat like a statue, pale and motion¬ 
less. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


221 


My object in trying to get a confession from 
these men, was for the purpose of inducing them 
to give up the money, which had been stolen dur¬ 
ing this conspiracy. The amount taken was in the 
neighborhood of seventy thousand dollars; in con¬ 
nection with this, it would cost the railroads twenty 
thousand dollars to get a conviction. I therefore 
determined that the wisest policy was to secure a 
confession, and then compromise, if they would 
return the stolen money. To accomplish this I 
held out every inducement which was allowed by 
law, to get these men to buy their liberty with 
their ill-gotten gains. 

After taking McDonnell’s confession, the officers 
allowed the penitent to go at liberty. Belmont, 
who had listened through it all, appeared unde¬ 
cided, dazed and confounded, like one in the midst 
of serious meditation, but showed no signs of 
his intentions in the matter; soon the officers 
withdrew, leaving him in solitude to decide his 
own fate. I then turned my attention to the six 
conductors, who until this time had made no effort 
to secure bail, and I requested the officers to ap¬ 
proach each man separately, and read to them the 
three written confessions which was already made 
out. 

When Sheriff Bugoee and State’s Attorney Whit- 


222 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


taker reached the prison in which these men were 
confined, they found the prisoners had improved 
the time during their confinement with serious 
meditation, and that they were on the border of 
true repentance for the follies which had wrecked 
their homes and ruined them. 

With the skill of a learned and experienced law¬ 
yer, the State’s Attorney informed Aaron Swift, the 
conductor in whose cell he first called, that he was 
preparing for their trial and arraignment before 
the grand jury, which he expected would take 
place during the present week, on the charge of 
theft and larceny. He then informed the prisoner 
that he had already secured evidence enough 
against them to warrant a conviction, and drawing 
from his pocket the confessions of the three men, 
read them slowly and carefuly, so that no word 
should be lost on the imprisoned conspirator. 

After reading the three confessions to Swift, 
Lawyer Whittaker became more genial and sym¬ 
pathetic in his conversation, and told the conductor 
that during his long professional career he had met 
with a number of cases similar to the one it was 
now his unpleasant duty to prosecute, and that he 
invariably found the temperament and disposition 
of the accused had its influence on the court. 
“Why,” said the able counselor, “I have often 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


223 


known the spectators in the court room, who sit 
outside the railing listening to a trial by a jury, to 
so influence that body by the expression on their 
faces, as to ‘hang up’ the chosen twelve by causing 
them to disagree, which would eventually result in 
the acquittal of th$ prisoner.” 

Attorney Whittaker’s pleasant and happy mood 
in relating the anecdotes of his profession, soon 
made the conductor feel like himself again, as it 
caused him to remember the winning style of his 
passengers, whose companionship he so much en¬ 
joyed. After the conversation of these two men 
had mellowed into familiarity with each other, the 
prisoner began in a jocular strain, by instructing 
Mr. Whittaker not to keep him away from home 
too long after the trial, which was to result in his 
conviction. To this the fertile lawyer replied: “You 
have no need to be away from home at all; if you 
will simply give me a plain statement of the facts, 
I will guarantee that you will walk out of this jail 
a free man.” 

This was an agreeable termination which both 
men ardently desired, and after further consultation 
the conductor agreed that beside making a confes¬ 
sion of his crooked methods in defrauding the road, 
he would turn over to Lawyer Whittaker what¬ 
ever property he was then possessed of, and as far 


224 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


as lay in his power, make every restitution he could 
to the company, if, on the other hand, they would 
promise not to prosecute him. 

The prisoner then began by making a statement 
in which he said that he had been in the employ¬ 
ment of the railroad for about twelve years, and 
during that time had received in wages over fifteen 
thousand dollars, beside being allowed an annual 
vacation every year at the expense of the com¬ 
pany. But that after such long service in their 
employment, he commenced to think he was en¬ 
titled to an increase of salary. As the road had 
reached the limit which they pay their conductors, 
he was refused. 

About this time Swift said he was approached 
by a man named Belmont, who was then traveling 
extensively as a ticket broker. While occupying 
the same seat with him one day in the smoking 
car, he asked him how he would like an increase 
of salary. 

“Just what I have been trying to get,” replied the 
conductor. 

“Well,” said Belmont, “I guess we can arrange 
that little matter with you.” 

At this meeting, according to Swift’s statement, 
the conspiracy had beeen formed, something over 
a year before, and during the time of his con- 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


225 


nectlon with Belmont, he had sent that individual 
six thousand dollars worth of uncancelled tickets, 
for which he had been paid about two thousand 
dollars, and Belmont still owed him a large sum at 
the time of his arrest. 

This was such an important addition to our suc¬ 
cess that I instructed the State’s Attorney and sher¬ 
iff to take this written statement of Swift’s, togeth¬ 
er with the other three, and make a similar visit to 
the remaining five conductors, and if possible, se¬ 
cure confessions by offering to compromise. 

The officers, who were highly elated at the suc¬ 
cess we had so far attained, acted upon my advice, 
and visited James Scott, William Freeman, Samuel 
Bliss, Frank Holmes and Edward Langtry, the 
other conductors, separately in their cells, and 
spent the entire day in securing from them state¬ 
ments of their complicity in the crime. These men 
had the satisfaction of hearing read the confessions 
of their brother criminals, in which they acknowl¬ 
edged having forwarded to Belmont, any where 
from three to five thousand dollars worth of uncan¬ 
celled tickets, to be resold again by him at half or 
two thirds of their actual value. 

Together with writing the statements of these 
six men, the State’s Attorney secured the transfer 
of real and personal property from each one, to an 

Detective 1J 


226 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


aggregate of over twenty-three thousand dollars, 
which I had placed in the hands of the different 
roads that had been victimized. 


CHAPTER XII. 


Feeling a legitimate pride in the progress I had 
made in capturing and breaking up one of the most 
notorious gangs of ticket stealing conductors which 
infested the West, under the leadership of this 
Belmont, I felt my work was not as yet complete 
until I had secured the money he had received for 
these stolen tickets, or given him his just deserts by 
a long term in the state penitentiary. I intended 
to try the former, and in case I did not succeed, 
was determined to push the latter. 

As near as I could learn, Belmont’s transactions 
had extended well into the thousands, and what 
had become of this money which he had made, was 
still an unsolved mystery. I could not find any 
bank account on the books of any financial institu¬ 
tions in the city of Wichita, and on the day of his 
arrest, when his office and safe were searched, there 
was but six hundred dollars in money, together 
with about a thousand dollars worth of tickets any¬ 
where in sight. From my previous knowledge of 
this man’s former life, when he was first detected, 
through one of my operatives, on the steamship 
227 


22S 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


“Alaska,” plying between Honolulu and San Fran¬ 
cisco, where it was discovered that he possessed a 
mania for secreting all valuables that got into his 
possession in the sides and bottom of his trunks, I 
knew this was only a fractional part of Belmont s 
holdings which he had realized through his dupes, 

I therefore informed the sheriff that we might be 
obliged to coax into our service a sledge hammer, 
axe and crowbar, before we got to the bottom of this 
investigation. At this remark that worthy officer 
could not suppress his humor, and said that I must 
be going to dig deep for the solution of this mystery. 

I decided that we should first give Belmont 
the same chance we had given the conductors; 
so I instructed the two officers that had been so 
successful in the former operation to handle his 
case, and to apprise him of the full enormity of his 
crime, as well as the preponderance of evidence 
that was against him. 

Going to Belmont’s cell, the two officers in¬ 
formed the prisoner that they had secured a full 
confession from the conductors, who had consti¬ 
tuted with him the principal conspirators in the 
whole transaction. Beside this they had found 
tickets in his office at the time of his arrest, which 
had been identified by these men as the ones sold 
to the broker, and therefore had established a chain 



The choice of liberty or imprisonment for life. 


Pullman Car Detective. 






























































N 
















































































THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


229 


of evidence so securely around the prisoner, that 
escape of any form could not be entertained, un¬ 
less it should be accomplished in the same way as 
by his partners in crime, which was a full confes¬ 
sion and a complete restoration of the money pro¬ 
cured for the sale of the stolen tickets. 

This offer of a confession and a restoration as 
the price of his liberty Belmont readily accepted, 
and offered to give up the tickets, which were in his 
possession as well as the money he had received. 
With the keen perception of an officer who had 
been trained in the handling of criminals of the 
Belmont stripe, State’s Attorney Whittaker inquired 
what would be the amount of his restoration in 
case it was accepted. 

To this Belmont replied, that he had in his pos¬ 
session several hundred tickets, and about six hun¬ 
dred dollars in money. 

“Oh, no,” said the attorney, “you never can buy 
your liberty with that amount, beside, we secured 
all the available cash and tickets in your office on 
the day of your arrest. Your liberty will cost you 
thirty thousand dollars.” 

This reply was the heaviest blow that had been 
dealt to this king of bunco ticket scalpers, and 
with an expression on his face that betokened de¬ 
spair, he found for the first time in his profligate 


23° 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


career that he had reached the end of his rope, 
and had been tracked to his lair, but not until I 
had several years experience of wasting care and 
heavy expense. 

“Where could I get thirty thousand dollars?” he 
asked. 

“Where you have hidden or secreted it,” replied 
the attorney. 

“I don’t understand what you mean.” 

“It will be easy for you to understand it,” replied 
Mr Whittaker, “when we get the crowbars .and 
sledge hammers at work in your office, for the con¬ 
ductors who are to appear in court against you, 
have stated in their confessions that they sent you 
between forty and fifty thousand dollars worth of 
tickets, and that money is somewhere in your pos¬ 
session, and you have got but one choice in this 
matter, to return it or spend the remainder of your 
life in servile bondage behind prison bars.” 

The character of the lawyer’s reply, the tone of 
his voice, the defiant expression of his eye, and the 
firmly set features, was one of the strongest com¬ 
binations of physical and mental determination to 
accomplish the ends of justice that this outlaw ever 
encountered. That supreme confidence which had 
stood by him during his former years, that elegant 
address, and fertile conversational powers were a 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


231 


lost art, and would not come to his rescue when 
confronted with a full realization of a criminality 
that he had often succeeded in placing at the door 
of the innocent. Little did he realize that the facts 
with which he was now confronted had been ac¬ 
complished after months of persistent struggle by 
both myself and my operatives. 

“Your case will be called for trial the day after 
to-morrow,” casually remarked Mr. Whittaker, as 
he arose, determined to spend no further time with 
this man who held his fate in his own hands, “and 
you will have a chance to hear your own dupes 
give the testimony that will make this one of the 
most memorable cases of extortion and larceny that 
has occupied our criminal courts for many years.” 

The moment a criminal case is entered on the 
records of any court to be exposed for trial, no 
compromise can be effected outside of the chamber 
of judgment. Belmont was therefore too shrewd 
a criminal to allow his fate to be weighed in the 
balance, as he had no defense to offset the state¬ 
ment of the s'ix conductors who were now deter¬ 
mined to clear themselves, regardless of the cost to 
the man who had wrought their ruin. 

The ordinary penalty of the law for the offense 
with which Belmont was charged in the state of 
Kansas, was twenty years in the penitentiary. To 


232 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


face a court with such desperate odds against him 
meant a conviction, and a conviction to a man of 
his age meant life imprisonment, as there was not 
the slightest hope of a pardon, and the day he 
crossed the threshold that led behind prison walls, 
that day he left all hopes behind. 

“Could I see you to-morrow?” asked Belmont of 
Mr. Whittaker. 

“If I can be of any service to you,” courteously 
replied that gentleman, “but if not, don’t ask for 
too much of my time* as I have other important 
matters which I have neglected since treating with 
the principals of this case.” 

“I want to prepare a statement similar to these 
men, who have drawn me into this conspiracy.” 

“Very well,” remarked the State’s Attorney, “but 
remember that a statement without restitution of 
the large sums of money that have come into your 
hands while engaged in this business, will be of no 
use to you.” 

The prisoner acquiesced in Mr. Whittaker’s ad¬ 
vice, and the professional gentleman took his de¬ 
parture with a promise to return the following day. 

It has been said that a thief could not be happy, 
although he had the riches of Croesus, the empire 
of Cyrus and the glory of Alexander, and to any 
one who could have looked into the glassy eyes, 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


233 


distorted features, and heavy assemblage on the 
following morning of this man, who once charmed 
courtiers and fascinated ladies with his elegant 
range of discourse, and who was now about to buy 
his liberty with the ill-gotten gains of a life-time, 
would never have doubted the truth of this proverb. 

He had evidently spent the night in remorse and 
humiliation, which chased refreshing slumber far 
from his couch, and as the time began to arrive for 
the sheriff and attorney to make their appearance, 
he became nervous, distrustful and suspicious. 
He felt that he could trust no one, not even himself 
in his desperate task, which meant either a life of 
imprisonment, or a life of liberty coupled with pov¬ 
erty and disgrace. For him there was no future, 
for him there was no past. His photograph with 
a history of his crime I had sent broadcast, and 
would follow him like his shadow to the most dis¬ 
tant realms. 

Precisely at ten o’clock the ponderous iron gate 
swung open, admitting State’s Attorney Whittaker 
and Sheriff Bugbee into the prison where Belmont 
was confined. Contrary to my usual custom I de¬ 
cided to accompany these officers and see for my¬ 
self the final termination of this remarkable case. 

We were shown at once into the office, and a few 
moments later the manacled prisoner was brought in 


234 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


by the jailer and his warden. The officers and Bel¬ 
mont at once entered into a conversation which Mr. 
Whittaker said must be brief and to the point, as 
he had no farther time for dalliance. This peremp¬ 
tory step was taken at my suggestion, to give this 
prisoner to understand that the entire amount of 
his stealings must be delivered up, or he would be 
presented to the court that afternoon or the follow¬ 
ing morning. 

He showed the same disinclination to talk that 
he had done on all previous occasions, and simply 
said if we would take him to his office, he' would 
deliver up to us everything he was possessed of. 
This offer was at once accepted, as I knew the odds 
were too great to risk delay. 

Upon arriving at his office, which had been kept 
under strict surveillance by one of my operatives 
since the arrest some days before, Belmont gave us 
the combinations by which we opened his safe, and 
in different apartments of the interior, found some 
of the much coveted spoils. I showed no approval 
or satisfaction at the result, as it consisted of about 
four thousand dollars in gold and miscellaneous val¬ 
uables, with another package of about one hundred 
tickets, not yet disposed of. 

Here Belmont again began his game of bluff by 
telling us that this was all he was possessed of. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


235 


To this statement I would pay no attention, and 
ordered the sheriff to get a crowbar and sledge 
hammer, so we could commence a general demor- 
ilization. This was the last straw that broke the 
camel’s back, and the prisoner, throwing up his 
hands, told us not to break his safe, which he had 
owned for many years. 

He thereupon commenced to draw out the 
shelves of the apartments from its interior, and af¬ 
ter going through a number of mechanical contri¬ 
vances, the inside compartments were all removed, 
and the linings of the three sides of the safe fell 
in, and there appeared before the eyes of my as¬ 
tonished assistants, money and valuables of over 
thirty different varieties, among which were brace¬ 
lets, watches, precious stones and sapphires, gold 
coins of many denominations, silver and paper mon¬ 
ey, to the amount of fifty-six thousand dollars. 

Whether this man possessed any more money 
or not I felt satisfied that with the forfeiture of this 
amount of plunder, my work was accomplished; 
my clients would be fully recompensed for their 
loss, and I recommended that the leniency of the 
law should be invoked with the understanding that 
Belmont should leave the country. That we had 
secured his complete ruin I had not the slightest 
doubt, and the prisoner appeared like a man who 


236 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


wanted to get out of the world as well as out of the 
state. 

It was barely possible that we might have se¬ 
cured this money and valuables without Belmont’s 
assistance, but knowing the sum was very large, I 
could not believe that he would keep that amount 
within the walls of this small safe, and for this 
reason I had the officers pledge him his liberty if 
he would turn over to us the amount he had stolen 
from the railroads. Although we had every oppor¬ 
tunity to give him a term of service in the pen¬ 
itentiary, State’s Attorney Whittaker accepted my 
recommendation, and the prisoner, on the following 
day started on a journey, accompanied by two of 
my operatives, out of the jurisdiction of our federal 
government into Mexico, where I had already sent 
a full description of him to the officers of that re¬ 
public. 


CHAPTER XIII. 


The different railroad systems in whose interest 
I had completed the detection of between fifty and 
sixty conductors, decided that a general reorgani¬ 
zation of their force was necessary, and at once an 
extensive discharge of conductors followed. To 
each man, however, a full statement was made of 
the cause of his dismissal, besides offering him an 
opportunity to stand trial if he felt so disposed. 
But the alarm was too great, and with the knowl¬ 
edge of the work that we had already accomplished, 
not one of that large number accepted the invita¬ 
tion to defend themselves from the shortage noted 
in the reports of my operatives, or of the tickets 
furnished to Gregory. 

It soon became a serious matter with the differ¬ 
ent roads to supply the vacancies that they were 
obliged to make in the discharge of such a large 
number of men. Some of their trains were en¬ 
trusted to brakemen, who, if after a fair trial were 
found to be capable of filling these situations, were 
promoted to the position of conductors. 

237 


238 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

It often becomes my duty in case of a strike or 
general dismissal of this kind to direct my atten¬ 
tion toward looking up and securing the services 
of new men in other cities, to fill the vacancies 
thus made. On this occasion I sent my operatives 
into Cincinnati, Cleveland, Albany and Boston, 
and after consulting with the general superintend¬ 
ent of different roads, regarding character and 
ability of new hands, selected over forty compe¬ 
tent conductors who came at once and took charge 
of trains. Many remained permanently, while 
some worked but a few weeks until other men 
could be secured, and inside of ten days the entire 
change was complete. 

One of the most important changes, however 
that followed this reorganization, was the transfer 
of young Irving Hall from his run through the In¬ 
dian Territory to one from Topeka to Kansas City, 
and I consider it my duty, in justice to the young 
man, to here state that this important transfer was 
made entirely on his merits, and not through the 
solicitation or suggestion of any of his friends. 
The change meant an increase in salary of from 
seventy-five to one hundred dollars a month, for 
the first three months, and a gradual increase after 
that time, until the one hundred and fifty dollar 
limit was reached. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


239 


Soon after the vacancies were all filled and the 
new men had got acquainted with their positions, 
I had my operatives go over the different routes, 
and again inspect the service on the various lines 
under the new organization. With but very rare 
exceptions, I found the service had been greatly 
improved. Conductors who had been watching 
for “Spotters” were now watching for the best in¬ 
terest of their passengers, and the success of their 
employers. 

It is utterly useless for a conductor in any way 
to neglect his duty while managing trains on the 
different railroad systems at the present time, as I 
can say without the least fear of contradiction, 
that the moment I or any of my trained operatives 
enter a railroad car, so complete is our science of 
inspection, that we can determine after the first 
hour’s run what we expect to discover, and when 
the day comes that conductors become honest 
men, on that same day the “Spotter’s” occupation 
is gone. 

I have known on many occasions of men being 
sent out to inspect the runs of certain conductors, 
and although the railroad officials were positive 
that this man was guilty of some lapse of duty, 
which merited discharge or being “laid off” for sev¬ 
eral weeks, to stand up and defend him by saying 


240 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


that if true, it was an oversight, or unintentional, 
and that they would give him the benefit of the 
doubt. 

The train under the management of Conductor 
Hall, which was a limited express, became very 
popular, and running between two important cities, 
was extensively patronized by commercial travelers 
and ladies going from one city to another. This 
class of patrons are never slow to recognize good 
service, and especially when received at the hands 
of the young, gallant and accomplished, and that 
this man soon became a general favorite among a 
large circle of friends must go without saying. 

“I will allow no man do out-do me in courtesy,” 
is a remark that has been accredited to Washing¬ 
ton, but is as old as the ages. A small thing 
though it may be in its effect, it is powerful and is 
capable of calming a Niagara of contortion. It 
will draw love from hate, and sweetness from 
guile. It enriches the poor, enlightens the ignor¬ 
ant, elevates the lowly and dignifies the great. 
Without it the learned are illiterate. The sacred 
profane. The refined coarse and the great vulgar. 

No man ever made a more complete study of 
this mystery of success than Irving Hall, and from 
no one does it reflect with a more brilliant satis¬ 
faction than a railroad conductor. By this su- 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


24I 


preme trait in his character, he soon began to enjoy 
an extensive acquaintance, and a host of friends. 

The traffic on his train increased, and for each 
and every one he entertained that same even tem¬ 
perament that so distinguishes the traveling men 
of to-day, and makes them delightful companions, 
whether they walk the hotel corridors of our large 
cities or sit at the same festal board, are our com¬ 
panions in Maine or California. They partake of 
that whole-souled character which is as broad as 
the land through which they travel, as pure as the 
air they breath, and as brotherly as the great 
country they honor. No man can associate with 
our commercial traveler without feeling better, 
brighter, and more refreshed for an acquaintance 
that pleases and elevates. 

No education to-day is so elegant and complete 
as that attained through travel. No mind so broad 
and free from prejudice of narrow limits, as the 
one whose associations has been among all classes 
whether that class be refined and learned or coarse 
and untutored. The exchange of ideas is the 
stimulation of intellect and no tonic is so healthful 
and invigorating to the mind of the student as that 
change of location that is now so rapid and so 
easily attained through our many modes of trans¬ 
portation. 

Detective 16 


242 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


Irving Hall had met those opportunities which 
comes to every man once if not oftener in life. It 
was now simply a question whether he was capa¬ 
ble of controlling those stern, unshunable decrees 
of destiny. It is true he had entered a school that 
was rigid cold and severe in its discipline, but 
whose precepts were wholesome, firm and funda¬ 
mental, in the onward march of a great people. 
Would he be capable of grasping the advantages 
which sooner or later would be within his reach. 

In walking through his train collecting cash fares 
or tickets, as the case might be, Conductor Hall 
did not look ahead of him to the right or to the 
left, to see who was watching or inspecting his 
work. The car might be full of spotters, that was 
immaterial to him, he knew his instructions, and 
like the valiant soldier at his post, must obey those 
orders, regardless of the consequences. 

In sending in our inspection report it was just as 
necessary and essential to mention the rectitude 
and good conduct of the conductor and train hands, 
as it was for us to report the cash fares that had 
been collected. It is not correct to say that “Spot¬ 
ters” are pursuing conductors for the purpose of 
ruining their character, or to deprive them of their 
situation, or to belittle them in the eyes of their 
employers. Such remarks only emanate from men 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 243 

who fear the light of discovery, guilty men, who 
think that all the dishonest acts which they have 
committed on these roads for months past, are to 
be brought up against them at once and, for which 
they will be condemned and discharged. 

The surest sign of a man’s guilt is fear. The 
surest sign of his innocence is fearlessness. To a 
detective of experience, timidness and fear on the 
part of the man whom it is his duty to shadow, is 
invariably a sign of guilt. It is nothing uncom¬ 
mon for my operatives to be “dropped to” by a 
conductor who in making himself over efficient and 
at the same time is constantly suspicious and fear¬ 
ful of being watched. I have seen conductors al¬ 
most run wild. Become abusive, insulting and in¬ 
solent. Follow my operatives to their hotels, in¬ 
spect the hotel register, to see from what city they 
came, and even inquire of themlerk for how long 
they had engaged accommodations, and “tip them 
off” to other train hands. 

This was one of the surest signs that the con¬ 
ductor feared detection for some conduct which 
was reprehensible. Of course his every action in 
this matter was carefully noted and fully reported. 
The operative had done him no harm, he was in 
his car as an agent of the road, the same as he 
was their conductor. Had he been a man who 


244 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


had no fear of being “checked up,” he would have 
shown my operative the same courtesy as he was 
instructed to show any other passenger, and it 
would have been mentioned to his credit in the in¬ 
spection report. 

Nor is it a correct notion to say that railroads 
entertain an antagonistic feeling to their conductors 
unless forced into it by the conniving acts of some 
avaricious-and slothful man, who thinks it his duty 
to beat a corporation because it is big and he is 
small. Of course there may be exceptions to this 
statement as there are to all rules, but after an ex¬ 
tensive experience of many years, I feel as if I 
know whereof I speak. Good men are as much 
needed by railroads as by banks, cities or states, 
and it is just as necessary for them to acknowledge 
and encourage, trust, probity and rectitude, as it 
is for them to reproach neglect, impudence or dis¬ 
honesty. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


After I had completed my labors of about three 
weeks in the far West, the account of which is 
given in the preceding chapter, the reader can im¬ 
agine my surprise upon my return to Chicago, to 
be informed that Miss Alice Sherbrook had myste¬ 
riously disappeared from her home in Battle Creek, 
and that her bereaved parents were reaching out 
for assistance, solace and information from every 
hand. 

The large and favorable acquaintance which Mr. 
Sherbrook, the father of the missing girl, enjoyed 
with the railroad men of Chicago, soon induced him 
to seek my assistance in determining the where¬ 
abouts of his only child. The reader will remem¬ 
ber a former visit which my duty as a detective 
required me to make to this elegant home, where 
I became infatuated—if I may be pardoned for the 
remark—not only with Mr. Sherbrook’s beautiful 
residence and its surroundings, but with this 
young lady who seemed such an attraction to all 
visitors passing that way. 

There is no work connected with the life of a 
245 


246 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

detective that is so disliked, as that of entering into 
the privacy of any family relations. The idea of 
introducing a spy into a man’s family is contrary 
to the spirit of our free institutions, hence, I never 
resort to such measures except in extreme cases. 
I felt justified, however, in believing that this was 
one of those cases out of which nothing could 
come but relief, honor and satisfaction. Beside 
there was a personal feeling and solicitude on my 
own part, born from the acquaintance and high 
personal regard, which I cherished for the welfare 
of such a family, who were the living ornaments of 
an exemplary home. 

The Mr. Sherbrook who called at my office this 
day was the same man whom I had met at Battle 
Creek, but in many ways changed, with care and 
anxiety, which I believed to be the result of his 
daughter’s mysterious disappearance. With the 
tenderest regard for the feelings of this honest and 
confiding old gentleman, I questioned him very 
closely in relation to the actions, appearance and 
general life of Miss Alice previous to her departure. 

The actions of his daughter, Mr. Sherbrook said, 
were in every way proper and above reproach, and 
that the pleasure and joy of both parent and child 
were mutual to each other, until about two months 
before, since which time she seemed melancholy 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


247 


and disheartened, and had lost that cheerful dis¬ 
position which made her the light of their home. 
This caused me to inquire, though with every con 
sideration of respect, if she had at any time pre¬ 
vious to her departure, accepted or received the at¬ 
tentions of any gentleman to whom she might have 
confided her affections. 

At this question Mr. Sherbrook hesitated, which 
indicated to me that I was approaching sacred 
ground. He said he supposed there was, the par¬ 
ticulars of which were that for some months past, 
a young man who was a conductor on the Pullman 
palace cars, and whose name was Irving Hall, 
had attracted his daughter’s attention, which cour¬ 
tesy he objected to, not that he considered the 
young man unworthy of his daughter’s hand, but 
the roving life which men of his class were obliged 
to follow, together with the different characters 
they must meet and the associations they kept, 
caused him to believe that such respect toward his 
daughter was not sincere. 

He said he did not forbid his daughter from 
keeping this young man’s company, but cautioned 
her that such actions and affections might be urn 
wise and misplaced, and if so, it would be on her 
alone the blow would fall. To this she seemed 
to pay no heed, and soon after Hall’s service was 



24S THE PULLMAN CAR DETECITVE 

discontinued by the Pullman Car company, he 
then endeavored to reason with his daughter that 
his advice had been correct. All of which Mr. 
Sherbrook said was of no avail and he had no 
doubt but what her acquaintance and association 
with Hall had been the final cause of attracting 
his daughter into making the serious mistake of 
abandoning her parental roof. 

After a conversation which lasted nearly two 
hours, I told Mr. Sherbrook I would interest my¬ 
self in the case, but did not let him know anything 
of Hall’s whereabouts, as it might cause him to 
take some hasty step in the matter which would 
result fatally to my success. It appeared to be a 
source of gratification that some one was to take 
the burden off his shoulders, and so assuring me of 
his hearty co-operation, left my office, as if broken 
down with grief at the fact that his daughter had 
made a mistake which she could never retrieve. 

The settled impression of the world seems to be 
that the erring woman is always crushed under her 
own mistakes and the scorn of mankind, while 
the erring man goes free, favored by woman and 
admired by his own sex. Authors, preachers, poets 
and orators, unanimously express the opinion that 
woman once fallen from her high and noble 
pedestal is never allowed to rise, while man es¬ 
capes all punishment for his similar sins. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


2 49 


This certainly is not true to the life of to-day. 
Take any community of ten thousand inhabitants 
and look closely into the lives of those people who 
form its “best society” and you will find women 
who have erred and lived down their errors, and 
men who have suffered for their sins. 

No just and thinking person can reside ten years 
in a large city, or move about among people and 
not acknowledge the fallacy of the idea that one 
error bars a woman forever from association with 
respectable society. While he who has any 
faculty for inspiring confidence, or any ability to 
read human nature, must learn that men suffer far 
more for their sins than the world at large im¬ 
agines. 

This is woman’s century; and in the light which 
it casts upon her pathway, she finds that she, as 
well as man, can progress up and out of error. It 
is undoubtedly more difficult for her to live down 
past folly than for her brother man, unless she is 
endowed with a certain dignity which belongs to 
the adventuress type of woman. 

It is the mercenary and vicious woman who be¬ 
comes most widely known to the world, and who 
most frequently poses as a victim of man’s perfidy. 
But the one who really deserves our sympathies 
for having been blinded by her love and led into 


250 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


sin bears her sorrow and shame in silence, and 
never appeals to the public for sympathy. In 
olden times such an error was supposed to end a 
woman’s career forever; but, I repeat, if we in¬ 
vestigate the lives of society people in any city to¬ 
day, we find among its ranks women who have 
lived down serious follies. 

Out of the palace of love and peace they must 
often be led into the inquisition chamber of mem¬ 
ory. When woman once loves, the recollection of 
past familiarities, however slight, with other lovers 
becomes a source of regret to her, how much 
keener must be this regret when memory brings 
past shame to view; for, to woman, love ever brings 
a desire of self-immolation and soul surrender im¬ 
possible to the masculine nature. Alas for the 
woman between whom and this sacrament of sur¬ 
render stands memory with an uplifted sword. 
This is the eternal punishment which she must 
suffer, however lenient and forgiving the world 
may be. 

Woman has ever been man’s teacher. For 
centuries she has taught him to believe that he 
must plunge into all sorts of excesses and im¬ 
moralities to be attractive to her, and as reward 
he should take some spotless creature to wife, and 
if he reforms after marriage, he should be canon- 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


251 


ized. But during the last century she has begun 
to teach him that self-restraint is quite as possible 
for him as for her; and slowly but surely is man 
coming to realize that he must not demand so much 
and give so little in the way of morals. Whatever 
the cynic may say to the contrary, a higher and 
broader idea of morality and justice is taking hold 
of the minds of men. 

It is a strange fact that a woman who has retired 
from the lists of folly into the shelter of a respect¬ 
able home is seldom molested by her former male 
comrades in sin; while the man who attempts to 
reform and become a loyal husband is almost in¬ 
variably persecuted or tempted by the women who 
have participated in his past. 

I never heard of but one man who was base 
enough to attempt to destry the marital happiness 
of a reformed woman. She shot him dead, and the 
verdict was, “Served him right.” But the cases 
are innumerable where women attempt to lure 
married men back to their old follies and to des¬ 
troy the wife’s peace. Certainly in this respect, 
the reformed woman has the easier time of it. Of 
course we must make the allowance for the woman 
having been wronged in the beginning; yet the girl 
who falls through blind love is not the one who 
revenges herself upon an innocent wife afterward. 


252 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIYE 


It is rather the act of the balked adventuress, 
cheated of her golden prize. 

There are scores of men to-day all about us who 
are being slowly tortured by the demand for hush 
money to hide some old sin—men who never open 
the morning paper without a chill of apprehension, 
and who never hear the door-bell ring without a 
quiver of the nerves. Men who seek political 
laurels can testify to my words. Yet those who 
know of the stain upon the honor of these men 
say: “Behold the injustice of the world, which 
metes out no punishment to erring man.” 

There are hundreds of men who suffer year after 
year the tortures of disease, conscious that they are 
reaping what they have sown. God is not so great 
a respecter of sex as the world at large supposes; 
and men are punished more frequently and thor¬ 
oughly for their sins than is imagined by those who 
see only the surface of life. 

There is a spiritual wave sweeping over the 
world, which will compel men to suffer more for 
their sins, just as there is a growing liberalism of 
thought which compels the public to give a woman 
a chance to live down her mistakes. 

Slowly but surely the world is coming to the 
knowledge that there is no sex in sin, and that a 
universal standard of morality must be adopted for 


THE PULLMAN CAA DETECTIVE 


253 


men and women, and that the mantle of charity 
must be stretched out wide enough to cover the 
fallen woman as well as the fallen man. 



CHAPTER XV. 


For the third time in my career as a detective, 
and all within the space of as many months, my 
services were sought for the purpose of shadowing 
the conduct of Irving Hall. In the vernacular phrase 
of a detective, my work in this case was to be what 
is known as “special work.” My inspection of his 
service on a former occasion in connection with his 
duty as a railroad employe, was known as my reg¬ 
ular work, but this time I was to do a special job, 
being out of the ordinary line of my regular routine 
duties as a railroad detective. 

I saw no other alternative in connection with the 
work which was laid before me by Mr. Sherbrook, 
than to place a shadow on young Hall, and observe 
his daily habits, such as the company he kept, his 
hours with such company, together with the places 
he frequented, with that same close scrutiny with 
which I had inspected his official li-fe. What is 
known as shadowing is one of the most ordinary 
of all employments of detective agencies. It is 
the following, watching, surmising and inspection 
of a person’s every day life, reporting the daily call- 
254 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


2 55 


ings and belongings of certain suspicious individ¬ 
uals, for the benefit of a third person. 

It will be remembered that the sudden disappear¬ 
ance.of Miss Alice Sherbrook from Battle Creek 
was coincident with the promotion and transfer of 
Conductor Hall from his run through the Indian 
Territory to the Kansas City division, therefore it 
was prudent for us to surmise that if she had dis¬ 
appeared from her home in accordance with his 
knowledge she must be located somewhere on the 
road which was included in his trip. 

I therefore selected for this work Mr. Charles 
Merrill, a very accomplished and polite young 
man, whose neatness and refined appearance, 
prudence, discretion and moderation in conversa¬ 
tion was likely to win for him the quiet respect 
of any and all whom he met. My instructions to 
Mr. Merrill was to first go to Battle Creek, and 
there consult with Mr. Lansing, the efficient clerk 
of the Hotel Bryant, and ascertain from that gen¬ 
tleman anything that would be of interest to him in 
the investigation he was about to make, and in¬ 
quire particularly regarding the relations that ex¬ 
isted between Miss Lansing and Miss Sherbrook 
previous to her departure from that city, and to 
learn if possible if any correspondence had passed 
between Miss Sherbrook and Irving Hall, before 
her departure. 


256 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


Upon receiving my instructions, Mr. Merrill de¬ 
parted for Battle Creek, and on arriving there, 
registered as a guest at the Bryant. After some 
little time he fell into a casual conversation with 
Mr. Lansing regarding the late episode in the Sher- 
brook family, and the mysterious disappearance of 
the young lady, who had been such a close com¬ 
panion and confidential friend of Mr. Lansing’s 
sister. 

My operative found that gentleman quite willing 
to express himself on the late act of indiscretion 
of this accomplished young lady, in departing 
fiom a home that a princess might have envied. 
He seemed to know nothing, however, about the 
motives that caused her to follow such a course, 
and he further said that his sister was as ignorant in 
the matter as himself, and that, although the two 
young ladies had made frequent confidants of each 
other in many private affairs for several years, he 
firmly believed that Miss Sherbrook never breathed 
to his sister one word regarding her intended dis¬ 
appearance, or the reason why she had taken such 
an unwise step. 

After the conversation had exhausted itself and 
my operative was to about to depart, it occurred 
to him to inquire of the obliging and courteous 
young man if he was aware of any other gentleman 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


257 


who had ever sought to gain the affections of Miss 
Sherbrook. After thinking foi a while, Mr. Lan¬ 
sing replied that he did not, unless it might be a 
Mr. Joyce, who came to town frequently and 
stopped at the Bryant House, and was on visiting 
terms with the Sherbrook family. He believed he 
had heard his sister remark that Miss Sherbrook’s 
parents were very courteous and endeavored to 
cultivate the affections of that gentleman in the 
mind of their daughter, but that he was certain 
they did so greatly to her displeasure. 

Mr. Lansing further remarked that he did not 
consider Miss Sherbrook of a mercenary disposition, 
or a young lady that would be apt to sell her 
affections to the highest bidder; that being reared 
in comfort and substantial luxury he did not con¬ 
sider that she had experienced enough of the se¬ 
verity and needs of life to cause her to accede 
to wealth, that longing and desire that so many 
young ladies of the present day are apt to yield to. 

This information placed my operative in an un¬ 
certain attitude regarding what course to follow. 
Had Miss Sherbrook left her home to avoid an 
alliance with a man she could not love, or had she 
gone to cast her fortunes in searching for one to 
whom she had vowed an affection that would be 
lasting and endearing? This was one of those prob- 

Detective /7 


258 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


lems of a woman’s heart that the courage, ability 
or sagacity of my detective was incapable of unrav¬ 
eling. 

Detective Merrill, however, in accordance with 
my instructions, did not remain any longer than 
he thought would be sufficient to make necessary 
inquiries that would give him an intelligent under¬ 
standing of the condition of affairs in the commu¬ 
nity where this young lady was best known, and on 
the following day took his departure for Kansas 
City, where he was to shadow Irving Hall until 
such time as I deemed it expedient to withdraw 
his services from that locality. 

Arriving in that city on the following day, Mer¬ 
rill watched for the arrival of the afternoon express 
from the West, which was under the management 
of Conductor Hall, and was rewarded for his vigi¬ 
lance about six o’clock that evening when the iron 
horse came snorting and puffing into the union de¬ 
pot on the Missouri side, having in tow one mail, 
one express and five passenger cars. 

After Conductor Hall had seen his passengers 
carefully waited on, he repaired to the office of 
General Ticket Agent, Mansfield, where he rendered 
a complete report of his trip. This concluded his 
duties for the day, after which he went to the Hotel 
Thorne, closely shadowed by Merrill. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


259 


During the evening Hall remained in the waiting 
room until eight o’clock, when he strolled out upon 
the street, closely followed by Merrill. The prom¬ 
enade which the conductor and his shadow took 
was up and down through the various thoroughfares 
of that city upon the hills. Many of the fine 
buildings and hotels were passed, but nowhere 
during this evening’s walk, could Merrill detect a 
meeting with anyone that would lend suspicion to 
the case that he was bent on solving, and before 
ten o’clock, Conductor Hall was sound asleep in 
his room on the fifth floor of this elegant hotel. 

At eight o’clock next morning the western bound 
express left Kansas City for Topeka, under the 
management of its energetic young conductor, 
closely watched by the detective. At every station 
along the route, Merrill would succeed in getting 
out on the platform with the view of observing if 
any young lady was waiting there for the purpose 
of conversing with the conductor, but nowhere 
between these two cities did my operative see any¬ 
thing that would confirm his suspicion. 

The city of Topeka is built on the Kansas river, 
the capital of that state, and is entirely an agricul¬ 
tural and railroad town. It is one of the principal 
divisions of the Atchinson, Topeka and Santa Fe 
railroad, whose large shops and office buildings are 


260 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


equalled by but few in the country. The new state 
house which is in course of construction, bids fair 
to rival anything of its kind in the United States. 

Merrill shadowed Hall as much as it was possible 
for him to do while lying over in Topeka, but as 
that gentleman was to start back east, so as to 
complete his round trip that day, there was but 
little opportunity for the detective to keep him un¬ 
der close surveillance, because of spending much of 
his time in the Rock Isand ticket office, except 
when he went to dinner in the Hotel Clough, where 
my operative sat at the adjoining table in the din¬ 
ing room, but could see nothing of an unusual char¬ 
acter that he could mention in his reports regard¬ 
ing the conductor’s conduct. 

While on his return trip to Kansas City that 
afternoon, quite a little episode occurred between 
Conductor Hall and a man from Wichita, which 
attracted much attention among the passengers of 
the express train. While collecting his tickets he 
came to a passenger who offered him what is known 
as a “Bulletined Ticket.” It was a mileage book 
that had been bought at one of the stations some 
months before, and it became known to the Rock 
Island company, through my operatives, that this 
book was being used by different persons from the 
one whose signature was on the cover, which was 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


26l 


contrary to the terms of the contract; whereupon 
the company made out what is known as a bulle¬ 
tin, which was sent to each conductor on the differ¬ 
ent divisions, ordering them to watch for a ticket 
bearing a certain form and number, and when it 
was presented to them by any passenger for trans¬ 
portation, it should be taken up by the conductor 
to whom it was offered and the passenger re¬ 
quested to pay full fare for his accommodation. 

As it has always been a disputed question be¬ 
tween the railroads and the public whether their 
actions were legal in restraining the use of mileage 
books to the purchaser only, the passenger objected 
to Conductor Hall’s action, but the conductor re¬ 
lieved himself from all responsibility by producing 
the type-written bulletin which was posted for 
public inspection in a conspicuous place in the car. 
Hall told the passengers that as a conductor he was 
simply acting as the company’s agent, and hoped 
there was nothing personal in their feelings in the 
matter. 

This strict attention to duty, and the gentlemanly 
bearing with which it was discharged, operated as 
a valuable precedent in determining Hall’s fate in 
the future success he was to enjoy. 


CHAPTER XVI. 


After giving Detective Merrill all necessary in¬ 
structions to keep a close shadow on young 
Hall, I was ordered by the Illinois Central road to 
check up their trains running south between 
Chicago and New Orleans, and after I had selected 
my regular number of assistants, I added to my 
force two colored operatives, one a man and the 
other a woman. 

This I was obliged to do for the reason that 
when we passed Grand Junction, which is near the 
boundary line between Mississippi and Tennessee, 
the travel is largely made up of the colored popula¬ 
tion, which have special cars of their own. Owing 
to the limited means of this class, it is known by 
the conductors on these roads that the negro 
travels but a short distance at a time, and I there¬ 
fore determined to put on a man and woman who 
were husband and wife, so as one could relieve the 
other after short intervals, without it being known 
that they both followed the same line of business. 

The Illinois Central road is one of those trans¬ 
continental highways which unite the South and 
* 2C2 , 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 263 

the West, whose history is interwoven in the early 
life of those two great sections of our country. Its 
wealth extends into the hundreds of millions, much 
of which is held by the banking houses of London, 
Paris, Berlin and Antwerp. Operating nearly 
three thousand miles of road, it employs over four 
hundred conductors, and is without doubt one of 
the best-managed and thoroughly equipped systems 
that connects us with the Gulf of Mexico and the 
Islands of Cuba. 

An extensive land grant the first of its kind in 
the history of the railroad building of this country, 
consisting of millions of acres, by the State of 
Illinois was the nucleus from which this great sys¬ 
tem first originated. The engineering of this 
grant through the Illinois legislature was accom¬ 
plished by the combined efforts of Abraham Lincoln 
and Stephen A. Douglass, and it has been said 
was the only subject which these two great men 
ever agreed upon in common during their event¬ 
ful lives. 

The money realized from the sale of this land 
aggregated an enormous amount which enabled 
the road to make gigantic strides not only through 
the state of Illinois, but through Missouri, Indiana, 
Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisiana, to the tide 
waters of the Gulf. So rich and fertile was the 


264 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

land included in this grant, that I do not hesitate 
to say that nowhere on the globe can a farming 
country be found that excels it in fruitful product¬ 
iveness, and strange to say, this gift marked a pe¬ 
riod from which commenced the greatness and glory 
of this illustrious commonwealth. 

After spending several days checking up the sub¬ 
urban trains running out of Chicago, we took 
each conductor in turn until we reached Jackson, 
Tennessee, where I ordered Mr. and Mrs. George 
Cason, my two colored operatives, to join our 
party and travel together in the colored ca~r, in 
order to throw off suspicion as I was aware that 
if it should be discovered by the conductors that a 
colored man was following them as a detective, 
the result might be very serious. 

There is no class of my service that shows more 
satisfactory result than that which I entrust to 
lady operatives. They are the last class of people 
that are ever suspected by men as being detectives, 
and whenever I have a difficult piece of work— 
such as a leary and suspicious conductor to test— I 
invariably give the case to a lady, or ask my 
operative to take his wife with him, as they help 
each other and work together, and in this way I 
have succeeded in accomplishing some of the most 
difficult tasks in my whole range of duties as a rail¬ 
road detective. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 265 

From Jackson we took the midnight express to 
Holly Springs, Mississippi, where the three opera¬ 
tives who assisted me on the Rock Island and my¬ 
self, together with Mr. and Mrs. Cason, met at the 
Springs hotel and compa'red notes for the past 
three days. We found matters in a very loose 
condition. During the time covered by our re¬ 
ports, we found nearly two hundred cash fares 
had been collected, amounting to over eight hun¬ 
dred dollars, and for which no cash fare receipts 
had been issued by the conductor. This was 
prima facia evidence that the company was being 
deeply swindled. 

After spending another week checking up the 
road from Granada to Memphis and thence to 
Baton Rouge, the work progressed very satisfac¬ 
torily—the combination was perfect—and I enter¬ 
tained the highest hopes of the complete success 
we were having without attracting the slightest 
suspicion, until a very unnecessary and unwar¬ 
ranted mistake occurred on the part of the officials, 
and contrary to my instructions, which came near 
working havoc and disaster to the company and 
my operatives. 

It is my usual custom when handling a company 
of operatives on the road to keep their reports of 
the different runs collected together until the job 


266 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


is completed, and not let anyone even my clients 
know what is the result of my investigation until 
I have returned to my office and left the work en¬ 
tirely. I do this for the purpose of protecting my 
detectives and preventing any chance of suspicion 
getting out among the employes of the company, 
from whom it might be intimated to the con¬ 
ductors we were inspecting. 

Contrary to my usual rule, however, and while 
in the office of the general passenger agent at New 
Orleans, I turned over to that official my reports 
which had been completed up to date, with the re¬ 
quest that they should be transferred to the special 
agent, and at the same time saying I would turn 
over the balance as soon as completed. I had 
commenced to get fearful lest something might 
happen to my valise, where 1 found it necessary to 
carry my papers, owing to the large amount that 
was accumulating on my hands, and so turned 
them over to the officials that I might be relieved 
of the responsibility. 

Of course I had no idea but what the strictest 
secrecy would be maintained, and my confidence in 
no way taken advantage of. I had about two weeks 
work yet to do that would take us back to Chicago, 
where I would deliver to my clients a prompt and 
complete digest of the service rendered by every 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


267 


conductor on this great system, after which my 
duty was complete, and they could act upon it as 
they saw fit. 

The reader can imagine my unlimited indigna¬ 
tion when on the following day over forty of the 
conductors whom we had checked up were per¬ 
emptorily discharged by the company. The news 
of their dismissal had been telegraphed all over the 
country, the leading evening papers in New Or¬ 
leans appeared that afternoon with flashing head¬ 
lines such as “SPOTTERS AT WORK,” “FORTY 
CONDUCTORS DISCHARGED BY THE I. 
C.” “STEALING TOO MANY FARES,” and 
“MORE DISMISSALS EXPECTED, etc.,” etc., 
which was followed by long written accounts of 
the different men who had been discharged and of 
the divisions on which they were employed. 

The news boys were shouting it at every street 
corner. Groups of railroad men could be seen 
gathered about the depots and freight yards, dis¬ 
cussing the situation, and threats of the wildest 
vengeance were vowed against my operatives 
and myself as if we were murderers, incendiaries 
or thieves, and I firmly believe that had our iden¬ 
tity become known at that time, when the excite¬ 
ment was running so high, a mob with all its fear¬ 
ful consequences would have swept through that 
city before the appearance of another day. 


268 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


I was not long in determining what course we 
should take, and at once began to secretly notify my 
detectives accordingly, as they reached the city 
on the different trains, that we must seek a cooler 
climate. Mr. and Mrs. Cason had received all 
necessary notifications of this fact before they 
reached the city, by the conversation they over¬ 
heard between the train hands in the car which 
they occupied, and when the train slacked up at the 
union station, instead of coming out on the plat¬ 
form where all are supposed to land, they stepped 
off the rear side of the car, and in a short time 
were behind a lot of engine houses and water 
tanks, on their way to some remote street in the 
city for accommodation with coloerd friends whose 
address he had furnished me. 

I was determined not to leave the city without 
notfiying this operative and his wife, and so in 
company with Clark and Green sought out the 
house where Mr. and Mrs. Cason were stopping, 
and upon going there, inquired of the landlady if 
a gentleman and lady of that name had recently 
come there; upon being answered in the affirma¬ 
tive, I informed Mrs. Kendal, the landlady, that I 
wished to see these two guests, whereupon she 
went up-stairs and notified them that there were a 
number of men downstairs that wanted to see 
them. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


269 


Nearly overcome with fear before reaching the 
house at the threats of lynching and hanging which 
they had heard between the train hands on the car, 
Cason had gone up-stairs, and after locking the 
door of his room, began to congratulate himself that 
he was safely secreted from any danger. But the 
sudden rap on the door startled him, and upon be¬ 
ing notified that he was wanted downstairs by a 
number of strange looking men, did not wait to 
inquire who they were or how they looked, but 
opened a window and jumped out headlong upon 
the roof of a small hen coop, which suddenly gave 
way, leaving him in the midst of a lot of screech¬ 
ing and fluttering poultry. 

The noise outside at once attracted my atten¬ 
tion, but Mrs. Kendal, the landlady, who could not 
imagine what on earth was the matter, came down 
and looking at us in a half dazed and bewildered 
manner, shot past toward the back door, mutter¬ 
ing something which sounded like “My God, my 
hen-coop.” 

Not fully aware of what had taken place, Clark 
went up-stairs to notify Cason, but much to his 
surprise found the door open and the woman lying 
in a swoon with the window of her room up. 
Looking out he saw Mrs. Kendal belaboring Cason 
out of her hen house, and at the top' of her voice 


270 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


demanding him to pay damages for her dilapidated 
coop. Clark, seeing the danger which his brother 
operative had got into, told him to get out of there 
or he might bring disgrace on the profession. 

The noise about the house at this time had got 
to be so high above the ordinary that my own 
nerves began to quiver, and I felt the threats of 
hanging and lynching were in the air. Getting up 
I went to the door and saw the neighbors were be¬ 
ginning to arrive, attracted no doubt by the crash¬ 
ing in of the hen house, and the landlady’s elo¬ 
quence that had reached such a high key; going 
to the rear from where all the alarm had been 
sounded, I met Cason bareheaded, and asked him 
what under heaven he had been doing. 

The only answer I received was, “Have you 
seen the news in the papers?” By this time I be¬ 
gan to get out of patience and told Cason that I was 
fully informed of the situation, and had come for 
him and his wife to go with us, but the landlady 
objected, saying that we would have to pay her 
for damages. This request of course was fully 
complied with, and while Cason went up-stairs to 
get his wife ready for their escape, Clark settled 
the damages with Mrs. Kendal, after which she 
went into the house to lie down on a lounge and 
try to compose herself from the terrible shock her 



Colored operative Carson gets into trouble. 


Pullman Car Detective 







































































































































THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


271 


system had endured. I left her in the care of 
kind friends who were bathing her hands and feet 
in their efforts to quiet her. 

The limited express which left New Orleans at 
eleven o’clock that night took my operatives and 
myself as passengers, and after a continuous run 
of thirty-six hours, we landed in Chicago, where we 
received the highest compliments from the pres¬ 
ident of the Illinois Central road, for the thorough 
and efficient service we had rendered to his com¬ 
pany, and after a few weeks had elapsed, we cov¬ 
ered the remaining terriotory and made a complete 
inspection of the system. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


Detective Merrill, whom I had instructed to 
shadow Irving Hall, had kept a close watch upon 
the actions and daily life of this young man, almost 
continuously for three weeks, night and day, but had 
made no discoveries that would warrant me in 
suspecting that he had in any way allured this 
young lady, Miss Alice Sherbrook, from her home. 
I reasoned the case out to myself that if she had 
taken this unwise course through a command of 
her affections, she did so for the purpose of being 
in his company, and as Merrill had at no time 
seen Hall even conversing with a young lady that 
would answer Miss Sherbrook’s descriptions, it 
was conclusive evidence, I reasoned, that Hall 
knew nothing of 'her mysterious disappearance. 

But I was prompted to request Merrill to leave 
the scenes of his present operations and go down 
on the Rock Island road, through the Indian Ter¬ 
ritory, where Hall had been engaged about the 
time of this young lady’s disappearance. My in¬ 
structions to the detective were not to spend to© 

much time on this trip, as it was a serious ques- 
272 



THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


273 


tion in my mind whether there could be anything 
accomplished in looking for Miss Sherbrook in a 
locality where there was no inducement for her to 
remain. 

In compliance with my request, Merrill visited 
the various stations along the line of the recently 
constructed division of the Rock Island road, from 
Ninnekah west, where Conductor Hall’s first 
duties began, and after making many inquiries for 
several days, reached the little town of Terrel, 
where the landlady at a hotel in that place in¬ 
formed him that a young woman giving the name of 
Anna Stirling, and answering the description of 
Alice Sherbrook, had called at that house about 
two months before. 

I am very skeptical about giving credence to in¬ 
formation of this character, as there are so many 
people can remember seeing so many things if 
you’lj only tell them what you want. I have found 
it invariably the case that if an operative starts 
out to make a general inquiry about anybody, he’ll 
not have to go far before he will run across some 
one who has seen a person answering to their 
description. This was my reason for not placing 
much confidence in what Merrill had learned from 
the hotel landlady. 

Beside Merrill informed me that he found it 

Detective / 8 


274 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


somewhat difficult to get people to believe in his 
narrative of the affair, because it looked too much 
like a love story, spun from the brain of some 
aspiring novelist, instead of a bona fide statement 
of an actual occurrence, and I have found in my 
own experience in making inquiries on such sub¬ 
jects that the information I could secure would 
often be very unsatisfactory. 

It has got to be a common thing with those who 
have outlived the desires of early manhood, or 
who have been brought up iirthe courtly experience 
of fashionable life, to make light of love stories, 
such as that immortalized by the beautiful Evan¬ 
geline, and treat the romances of affection and 
friendship as mere fiction with which to while 
away an idle hour with a companion or friend. 
But my observations of human affairs have obliged 
me to think differently, there maybe some men who 
have given up their mind and thoughts so far to 
other things that the finer qualities of the human 
heart can not be recognized on the surface. But 
it is not so with woman, she can not mix in the 
gay recklessness of dissipated life. She cannot 
move around in society with the same freedom as 
we find in our club houses,hotels, and race-courses, 
with which man drives dull care away. 

I do not think I am exaggerating when I say that 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


275 


disappointed love has led many a good young girl 
to make mistakes during her early years, that 
served to blight her noble womanhood and prevent 
her from occupying the position in life that would 
have made her a queen of her class. But in Miss 
Sherbrook’s case it was entirely different. It 
did not appear to be a case of injured affections, 
but more of a desire to be romantic, to travel 
from place to place, as her gallant young conductor 
was doing, and her friends who knew her inti¬ 
mately bespoke for her a bright and honored future 
after she would see the childishness of her actions. 

Upon Merrill’s return, I instructed him to ap¬ 
proach Irving Hall, and after engaging him in a 
conversation, to introduce a subject which would 
include a general conversation regarding Battle 
Creek, and its surroundings and in a casual, off¬ 
hand way, let drop a remark that would be to the 
effect that a strange disappearance had occurred in 
that city a short time since, which was believed by 
many to be either a murder or a kidnaping affair, 
and connect this statement with Alice Sherbrook’s 
name. This might have the effect of making known 
to us what was the character of Conductor Hall’s 
affections for this young lady, and in this way, 
perhaps, we could learn somthing about a mystery 
that seemed to baffle the most consummate skill. 


276 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


If this young lady had disappeared from her 
home through her affections for Irving Hall, it was 
very evident that there must be an understanding 
between them, or she would make known to her 
parents something of her whereabouts. In case 
neither one of these things occurred, there was no 
doubt in my mind but what there had been foul 
play used in getting her out of the way. Of course, 
the latter conclusion had never received serious 
consideration from me, for the reason she had not 
an enemy in the world, and was universally re¬ 
spected, and had always kept the best of company, 
and with the exception of a love affair, which she 
was supposed to be a party to, had not an ac¬ 
quaintance outside of Mr; Joyce and her immediate 
friends. 

It must be said in justice to the latter gentle¬ 
man, that during this unpleasant episode which 
was bound more or less to bring his name before 
the public, he showed the most generous consider¬ 
ation to the kind and bereaved parents, who had 
always entertained a feeling of solicitude for him, 
and the future of their daughter, and at no time 
during the long weeks which intervened, did he 
withhold any assistance or advice that might be 
worthy of the consideration of the grief stricken 
parents of Alice Sherbrook. 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 277 

% 

It was in the waiting-room of the hotel Thorne, 
in Kansas City while discussing with a party of 
friends one evening, regarding a probable strike 
that was threatened on the different railroad sys¬ 
tems, that Dectective Merrill succeeded in forming 
an acquaintance in a casual way with the young 
conductor of the gilt-edge express. 

In this conversation, which lasted during the en¬ 
tire evening, the two gentlemen conversed very 
sociably upon all the current topics, and Merrill 
found young Hall one of those men who are al¬ 
ways ready to improve their mind upon any sub¬ 
ject, no matter how deep. He seemed to enjoy 
delving into the artesian depths and drawing there¬ 
from the refreshing draughts of English undefiled. 

After Merrill felt that he had worked into the 
graces of young Hall to a sufficient degree, he in¬ 
quired how he liked the position of conductor; to 
which Hall replied that he believed if any man 
was so thoroughly equipped as to be capable of 
conducting a train of cars, he had passed through a 
school that was complete enough to fit him for any 
position in the United States, from the President 
down. He said he was commencing to like it, how¬ 
ever, as it gave him a strong hold upon himself 
and compelled him to realize the fact that he pos¬ 
sessed more ability than he had ever suspected. 


278 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

Merrill inquired if he had any preference for any 
particular part of the country; to which Hall said 
that he had been a conductor on other roads, but 
that the same perplexities were found in one place 
as well as another, and that he could not see as the 
difference amounted to much, although he be¬ 
lieved he would rather travel between Chicago and 
New York. At this remark the detective said 
that he had never been any farther east of Chicago 
than Battle Creek, Michigan, in which place he 
was quite well acquainted. 

As Merrill uttered the last few words in this con¬ 
versation, he looked closely at Hall, to see if the 
remark made any change in his. countenance, or if 
by introducing the name of a city in which he could 
not fail but be interested, did in any way touch 
the memory that should be pleasant to the con¬ 
ductor. 

No discernable emotion flitted across the counte¬ 
nance of the suspected man as Merrill introduced 
the name of a place which was of absorbing inter¬ 
est to many people that were linking his name with 
the disappearance of the young lady, and the cas¬ 
ual remark, “I passed through that town many 
times while a conductor on the Grand Trunk, but 
never visited the city in any other capacity,’’ was 
all the attention which Merrill could secure from 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


279 


Hall upon this important subject, and the indiffer¬ 
ence with which Hall treated any further reference 
to the name of Battle Creek would have elimi¬ 
nated it from their conversation had not Merrill 
persistently continued by saying: “That is the 
city, you know, where that mysterious murder or 
kidnaping affair took place which resulted in the 
disappearance of Miss Alice Sherbrook.” 

As the last words fell from the lips of the de¬ 
tective, the naturally cold demeanor of the con¬ 
ductor flashed as if some sudden calamity had been 
thrust upon him. “Alice Sherbrook,” he ejacu¬ 
lated, “do you mean the daughter of the large 
manufacturer of that place?” 

“Yes,” replied the detective, “she mysteriously 
disappeared some weeks ago.” 

“Good heavens,” said he, “that accounts for it.” 

And springing to his feet, he began nervously 
walking the floor. After a few moments’ silence, 
he again began conversing with the detective. 

“How did you hear about it?” he inquired. 

“While there on business, a short time ago.” 

And did you learn any of the particulars in the 
case?” 

“Yes,” smilingly replied my operative, “it has 
been hinted that it is a love affair, and that she 
has gone down in the Indian Territory, to be mar- 


28 o 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


ried to a young conductor that she was engaged 
to'.” 

As my operative concluded this remark, Hall 
stood for a moment viewing him with a countenance 
that was radiant with excitement, and bidding Mer¬ 
rill good night, retired to his room, and was not 
seen again that evening. 


CHAPTER XVIII. 


Promptly at seven o’clock the following morn¬ 
ing Conductor Irving Hall arose from the break¬ 
fast table in the hotel Thorne, with tightly drawn 
features, puffed eyes and pallid face, showing that 
refreshing slumbers had not sweetened his night’s 
rest. In the human heart there is a species of 
discontent and a desire to satisfy it. It is found 
in every breast and lingers at the confines of the 
happiest hour. The startling information of the 
disappearance of Miss Alice Sherbrook imparted to 
him by my operative the night before was news he 
was not prepared to hear, and it was very evident 
from the manner in which he received the shock 
that his knowledge of this young lady’s where¬ 
abouts was as great a mystery to him as it was 
to us. 

Upon reading the report of Detective Merrill in 
my office in Chicago the following morning, I com¬ 
menced to look with dismay at the want of success 
which my every effort met in our endeavor to solve 
the enigma of the disappearance of this young 
lady. But such is the life of a detective, groping 
281 


282 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


in the dark, lead blind, grasping at straws, seeking 
to penetrate the impenetrable, until perseverance 
becomes a virtue. It is not their province to call 
off the chase, but to work on, struggle, plan and 
inquire, until something definite is reached. No 
man works harder for the accomplishment of good, 
with but the faintest hopes of reward, and I can 
testify in my own experience of honest, noble men, 
enduring the most trying privations endeavoring 
to restore that which is lost, and to replace that 
which has been destroyed, only to be repaid with 
criticism that would have been unworthy of the 
destroyer. 

The surprise which Irving Hall had received the 
night before was only the beginning of a number of 
strange coincidences which were to come his way 
very shortly. For upon going to the union depot 
on the following morning, he found a general strike 
had been declared at a meeting of the workmen 
the night before, which practically paralyzed all 
railroad traffic, and left it impossible for the gilt- 
edge express to go out that mornnig on its regular 
run to Topeka. But young Hall had no grievance 
against his employer which it would require a strike 
to settle; during his leisure hours he had improved 
his mind to such an extent that he felt confident 
that, should his services be dispensed with by this 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


283 


great railroad system, with such 9, combination of 
superior talent and energy at his command, he 
would be able to shape the destiny of his future 
which meant the survival of the fittest. 

And no better solution for this perplexed ques¬ 
tion of labor could be arrived at than the example 
young Hall’s life afforded. He had spent his 
leisure hours in preparing for a future that would 
be radiant with hope by cultivating the courtesy of 
friends, a strict integrity to duty, and a thoughtful 
consideration of his savings and resources, that 
would be employed in an opportune moment and 
a time of need. For every citizen has the right to 
decide whether he will labor or not, to choose the 
capacity in which he will be employed, and the 
terms upon which he will work. 

Theoretically speaking, the masses of our people 
are as much under the necessity of compulsory 
daily toil as if they were slaves. They are com¬ 
pelled by self preservation, by love of wife and 
children, to accept wages they do not fix in avo¬ 
cations they do not select. Starvation or depend¬ 
ence is the repulsive alternative presented to a 
large and greater part of the human race. 

The tendencies of the American people are to¬ 
ward mastery and not towadr servitude. Self-re¬ 
specting men and women do many things for them- 


284 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


selves that they could not do for others without hu¬ 
miliation. The farmer cultivating the acres he owns, 
the fisherman in his craft on the deep, the miner 
on his claim in the mountain gulch, the artist at 
his easel, the sculptor at his block, the savage in 
the chase, follow pursuits that uplift and dignify. 
Literature and art have idealized labor and the 
toiler, but the halo belongs only to that labor 
which is voluntary, and of which the laborer re¬ 
ceives the entire product. 

Liberty is something more than a name. He 
who depends upon the will of another for shelter, 
clothing and food cannot be a free man in the 
broad, full meaning of the word. Freedom does 
not consist in definition. The declaration that 
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are the 
inalienable rights of every human being, makes no 
man independent. Freedom is not merely the 
removal of legal restraint, the permission to come 
or go. The inequality of fortunes and the obvious 
injustice of the unequal distribution of wealth among 
men have been the perplexity of philosophers. It 
is the unsolved enigma of political economy. So 
long as such conditions continue, the key to the 
cipher in which destiny is written is not revealed 
—the brotherhood of man is a phrase; justice is a 
formula, and the divine code is illegible, says a 
great statesman. 



THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 285 

We have always had subordinate races to dig 
and delve for us, and when these did not suffice, 
we have subjugated nature and chained her re¬ 
luctant and intractable energies, falling waters, 
winds, steam and electricity, making them our 
errand-boys, torch-bearers, beasts of burden and 
bondsmen. These manacled giants, once sub¬ 
dued, feel neither fatigue nor hunger. They belong 
to no trades unions, stop when ordered, never 
strike for higher wages nor organize new factions. 
These machines, with skeletons of iron, sinews of 
steel and breath of fire, are the servants of the 
rich and not of the poor. Their masters must 
have wealth to build the structures and construct 
the machines and engines through which one man 
can control docile, conscienceless and irresponsible 
power which armies could not exert. 

Conductor Hall saw to enter a contest with 
such combinations of strength, wealth and power re¬ 
quired intelligence, skill and ambition that reached 
up and beyond present trifles that are ever open¬ 
ing and developing ripe and matured for the fine 
Itallian hand which must be ready to bid for a bribe 
that will be a literal companion to him, help and 
assist him in the accomplishment of great things in 
the future as well as the present. With that keen, 
observing eye, which has piloted the destiny to har- 


286 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


bors of safety for so many of our leaders of to-day. 
Hall’s time was spent in studying and planning 
for that course instead of bickering, quarrelling 
and contending with corporations that have no 
soul and never die. 

And when the day comes that the American 
laborer looks more to securing for himself a re¬ 
liable independence that will shelter him through 
the reverses of fortune, instead of grudging, organ¬ 
izing and combining to wrestle with the great 
Gladiators that will keep him exhausted if not over¬ 
powered, that day will mark an era which will 
banish discontent and silence oppression. 

No eye pierces with such penetration, searching 
for such talent and assistance as the powerful 
corporations and masters without the assistance of 
which their positions are insecure and their liberty 
a farce. It is not an uncommon thing for us to 
hear that we are overrun with labor, yet there are 
thousands of positions throughout the country to¬ 
day, that are waiting for an occupant who has the 
intelligence, ability, and integrity of a master, to 
control its future, for whom great results are in 
store. “This world is what we make it,” is a 
proverb of the ancients, and in a land as broad as 
ours, there are innumerable examples of laboring 
men who have commencd from nothing and by 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 287 

that energy, preseverance and intelligence, have 
left behind footprints that should not be lost. 

Great strikes are like the revolutions of the sea¬ 
sons, that bring about new conditions, changes the 
course of many events and cause many theories to 
rise and many positions to open. The forced idle¬ 
ness of a large class of raiload operatives as might 
be expected was no exception to the general rule. 
It required the cutting down of expenses, the re¬ 
trenchment of burdens and the extending of the 
duties of other officials on several of the great sys¬ 
tems included in the movements. 

On the second day after hearing the news which 
so touched and distracted him, regarding the dis¬ 
appearance of Miss Alice Sherbrook, Irving Hall 
was summoned to the office of Mr. James Water¬ 
man, the division superintendent of the road, upon 
which he was engaged and informed that they 
would be obliged to discontinue for the present 
the running of the gilt-edge express fr,om Kansas 
City to Topeka, and his sphere of labor would be 
changed from that of a conductor to an assistant 
in his office. This step was deemed advisable by 
Mr. Waterman, who saw the necessity of an ad¬ 
ditional assistant caused by the extra duties that 
had been thrust upon him by the company in 
placing under his charge several new branches 


288 


THE PULLMAN CAR ©ETECTIVE 


which had been built from adjacent towns to 
connect with his division from Kansas City, 
west. 


CHAPTER XIX. 


My usual course of action when perplexing 
difficulties arise which prevent me from establish- 
ing a clew that will result in overtaking the indi¬ 
vidual for whom I am searching, is to send out 
what is known in detective service as a drag net, 
which is so far reaching in its operations that it 
includes every State and Territory in the union, 
and from which it is almost impossible at the pres¬ 
ent day for any one, whether man or woman, to 
escape from being detected through its sweeping 
character. 

This form of detection is carried on by communi¬ 
cating with all police officers sheriffs and detect¬ 
ive-agencies throughout the country supplying 
them with a photograph and descripti on of the per¬ 
son wanted, offering a liberal recompense for ser¬ 
vices rendered, if such service will in any way lead 
to the apprehension, finding or detecting of the per¬ 
son we are searching for. In this particular case, I 
deemed it advisable, as much time had elapsed 
since the disappearance of this young lady, to make 
the search very thorough, especially around the 
Detective ig 289 


290 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


large cities, and so sent out over three thousand 
letters to all the officers in authority in ten Western 
States. 

So prompt and thorough is this mode of pro¬ 
ceeding at the present time that the first week 
after I had put this drag net at work I received 
over one hundred and fifty letters from as many 
different places, some stating that they believed 
they could give me the information I desired. 
While others stated that they would keep a close 
shadow on the young lady, whom they believed I 
was in search of, while two officers had went so 
far as to place two suspicious young ladies under 
arrest, awaiting my arrival and identification. As 
I was not instructed under any consideration to 
arrest or in any other way apprehend Alice Sher- 
brook, I sent out immediate directions to release 
the suspected prisoners, and simply inform me of 
their antecedents. 

So convinced was each officer in his belief of 
having detected the right party, that it made it all 
the more difficult for me to decide what course I 
should pursue. To some I gave great credence and 
believed there was plausible reason for consider¬ 
ing their information, while to others I could give 
no credence, owing to the style of dress they in¬ 
formed me their suspects wore, and which I knew 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 2 gi 

Miss Sherbrook had not taken with her from home. 
To all parties I sent out letters informing them of 
my conclusion and the reason that I had in arriv¬ 
ing at the decision. 

Among these letters which I received was one 
from Chief of Police, Braddon, of St. Joseph, 
Missouri, informing me that a young lady came to 
that city some six weeks before, who had every ap¬ 
pearance of refined and cultured antecedents, be¬ 
ing comfortably supplied with money, clothing, 
and other belongings of her sex, and entered a 
convent of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, under 
the name of Anna Stirling, and that the Mother Su¬ 
perior of that convent was very anxious to know 
her previous history. Chief Braddon further in¬ 
formed me that there was an air of suspicion at¬ 
tached to the young lady, who had been seen weep¬ 
ing a number of time-s, and that the reverend lady 
in charge there decided that it would be proper to 
notify the authorities of all the facts, that it might 
relieve the convent from any future responsibility 
which might arise in the case. 

As there is always something curious and at¬ 
tractive hanging about the mysteries of a convent 
that claim the attention of my own sex, I felt quite 
interested to know something about this young 
woman who had placed herself under self banish- 


292 THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 

ment as it were. I instructed Chief Braddon to 
make further inquiries, and courteously inform 
Miss Stirling that her parents at Battle Creek 
would be pleased to learn her opinion of convent 
life. As I was aware that such a blunt statement 
coming from the lips of the chief of police to a 
young lady in Miss Stirling’s position would very 
soon have its effect and cause her countenance to 
show whether the name of that city had any in¬ 
terest for her or not. 

I had not long to wait for the result, for upon 
entering my office in Chicago the following morn¬ 
ing, I found waiting me a despatch from my friend 
Chief Braddon, informing me that the young lady 
had been approached in the manner which I di¬ 
rected, and had given way to tears so violently that 
there was no doubt but what she was the missing 
person we were seeking for. 

The promptness with which I had accomplished 
my investigation from this extensive inquiry, re¬ 
lieved me of an embarrassing position in which I 
had been placed for a number of weeks, and after 
duly notifying the parents of this young lady, I 
felt disposed to withdraw from the case which I 
must confess had greatly fatigued and annoyed me. 
My instructions to the worthy official in St. Joseph 
was to take no further action in the matter until 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


293 


the arrival of her parents which would probably 
be in a few days. 

During the following winter I became engaged 
in a number of important investigations in connec¬ 
tion with the great Rock Island railroad which 
brought me into very pleasant relations with Assist¬ 
ant Superintendent Hall, of the Kansas City 
division, and my remembrances of him are pleas¬ 
ant. He always aimed to keep the' service of the 
road at a high standard, and he insisted that the 
conductors whom he had in charge should give 
that strict integrity to business which he had en¬ 
deavored to bestow while occupying that position. 

He assisted my operatives to capture a number 
of outlaws who attempted to rob an express train 
near Centerville, and the persistence and bravery 
with which he faced these bandits showed him to 
be a man of consummate skill and ability. The 
news of his heroic conduct at this fearful encounter, 
where there was such great odds against him, was 
telegraphed broadcast over the land, and he soon 
became one of the most popular division superin¬ 
tendents in the far West. 

As his name and bravery was being commented 
on far and wide, it came under the observation of 
a young lady who had never allowed his name to 
pass from her memory. The affection and love 


294 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECITVE 


which Miss Sherbrook cherished for a man of such 
worth and integrity was still retained with that 
tenderness and devotion of a woman’s first and 
early love, and now for the first time in over a year 
she was informed through the newspapers of the 
correct address of Irving Hall, and instantly wrote 
him a letter which received a prompt and courteous 
reply, from the man who supposed the letters he 
had written her had never been received. 

Miss Sherbrook acquiesced in the wishes of her 
parents and spent a winter in her St. Joe, home 
which she had chosen for herself believing it was 
the best course to pursue, considering all the cir¬ 
cumstances, and when she returned to Battle 
Creek at the end of the year, she had as her escort 
Superintednent Hall, who was acting in that 
capacity in place of Mr. Waterman, who had ac¬ 
cepted the position of President of the First National 
bank of Kansas City, and who was obliged to re¬ 
linquish his railroad duties to a great extent and 
so placed Irving Hall in that responsible position. 

It was not a great surprise to me during the 
holiday season of that winter to receive an invita¬ 
tion to be present at the celebration of the happy 
nuptials of Mr. Irving Hall and Miss Alice Sher¬ 
brook, which took place at the home of her par¬ 
ents in Battle Creek, where they spent a delight- 


THE PULLMAN CAR DETECTIVE 


295 


ful honeymoon. The happy couple took up their 
residence in Kansas City, and often laugh when 
they think of their father’s pass, 


TIIE END 




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